A 13-year-old boy has lost his fight with sepsis after falling ill with a heavy cold.
Wycombe Wanderers shared the tragic news of the death of their young fan Oliver Darlington.
The young footballer died last week, leaving his loved ones and his favourite club mourning the loss of a "full of life and fun" schoolboy.
Friends of the popular boy's family have shared the details of the tragedy in hopes of raising funds for the UK Sepsis Trust in his memory.
Oliver died on January 3, after spending four days in intensive care battling the effects of sepsis after contracting a heavy cold.
The youngster was described as being "full of life and fun, with his whole future ahead of him".
A friend of the family helping them raise money said his death highlighted the threat of sepsis even to the young and healthy.
The UK Sepsis Trust raises awareness of one of the leading causes of death in the UK.
Simon Smith, a friend of Oliver's parents, described the lad as a popular and "fit, healthy and strong" boy.
"Oliver spent 4 days in Southampton intensive care battling the effects of sepsis after a contracting a heavy cold," he said.
"Oliver had so many friends young and old, Oli you're sorely missed. RIP buddy x.
All our thoughts go out to Oliver's family, Tom, Stacey, Rachel, David, Holly, Ryan & Jack during this unimaginable time x."
The crowdfunding page in Oliver's memory aims to raise money for the trust, which works to save lives from the devastating infection.
It works to educate the public and healthcare professionals and lobbies for political change in a fight to reduce the number of sepsis deaths.
Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the UK, with at least 260,000 cases a year, including as many as 25,000 children, according to the trust's figures.
An estimated 44,000 people in the UK die a year from sepsis - around 120 a day.
Mr Smith wrote that young Oliver's passing had raised his own awareness of sepsis, in the most tragic way.
He wrote: "I wasn't aware that you could get sepsis from such normal everyday infections like Colds, Sore throats even from a scraped knee. It can begin anywhere bacteria or viruses enter the body."
Oliver's favourite club also shared the sad news of his death today, drawing attention to the family's memorial fundraiser which has sets a £10,000 goal.
Its message said: "Oliver was an avid Wanderers fan, attending matches regularly with his dad Tom - a season ticket holder and Trust member - while he also played football locally with Downley Dynamos, winning many trophies.
"The Wanderers plan to host the Downley Dynamos at their February 8 home match against Bristol Rovers, and the team is in talks about arranging an appropriate tribute to Oliver."
You can visit the JustGiving page here .
