1/7 Levi trained for his first boxing match (photo: press photographer Peter Smulders)
Four young teenagers in a car, high speed, a treacherous curve and an oncoming ambulance. The devastation that followed took the lives of closest friends Levi, Anthony and Elvis. Their buddy Kane survived the accident on the Heeklaan in Helmond. Monday 14 November it will be one year ago. Stepfather Nick: “I still wake up at night with wet eyes. Then I cried in my sleep again.”
A memorial corner has been set up in the living room for Levi, the only son of Nick and Gienie. A closet full of photos keeps the memories of him alive. On the fireplace, in the center of the corner, is Levi’s urn, in the shape of a boxing glove.
Boxing had a central place in the family’s life. Levi trained fanatically with his father, alongside top boxers Peter Aerts and Nieky Holzken. Levi’s parents proudly show photos and videos from the gym. “Look at those muscles. He was only 14 then, wasn’t he?” says his mother. The stepfather adds: “I still look at the other boxers and I still look for Levi. But he is no longer there.”
“He insisted on going to his cousin’s birthday.”
A bottle of nitrous oxide was found in the car after the accident. It’s unclear if the boys used anything. But Levi’s parents certainly don’t know. “He was preparing for his first boxing match. He didn’t like alcohol and drugs.” Nick was annoyed by the reactions on the internet. ” Bunch of mongols, it said. Or: ‘just right’. It was really terrible.”
According to the parents, it was a rash action by four young boys. They were only 15 and 16 years old and got into a borrowed car without a driver’s license. Levi’s parents don’t get it. “I used to drive him everywhere,” says Gienie. The night before the accident. She dropped her son off at his cousin’s party in Strijp. “I would rather he stayed at home. He was ill and had already been to the doctor. But he insisted on going to his cousin’s birthday.”
“Probably they wanted to bring him home.”
Nick and Gienie did not understand how their son ended up in Helmond. With the help of his phone, they were able to reconstruct the evening. “Levi was asked to come to Helmond for another birthday party. He grabbed a taxi. After half an hour at the party, Levi felt bad. But the taxi was only able to come back after an hour.”
Levi and his friends got into a borrowed car. “Probably they wanted to bring him home.” Anthony drove that car. Do Nick and Gienie blame him? “No. Anthony, Levi, Elvis and Kane, they all got in themselves,” says Nick.
“He always worked so hard at the fish stall.”
Kane and Levi were best friends. Kane also went on vacation. He feels like a second son to the family. “When he woke up in the hospital, he asked about me,” says Gienie. “This is his second home. We hope to help him get back on track now. A lot has changed for him too. He suddenly lost all his friends.”
Nick and Gienie not only lost their only son, but also their successor in the fish stall. “We just had a new logo for the booth, with Levi in it too. He was the fifth generation…”, says Gienie. “That was an acknowledgment for him. He always worked so hard in the fish stall. Customers were always waiting especially for him.”
The fish stall was Levi’s passion. He even turned down a football career. “He was scouted by FC Eindhoven, during his last match. But he wanted to work in the fish stall. He could really make money there.” Nick tries it out. “You should have seen that scout’s face.”
Since Levi’s death, the house has been quiet. Unbearable for Nick and Gienie. “I like to cook, we ate together every day,” Genie says. “Now there’s an empty seat at the table.” Nick and Gienie are happy with Levi’s friends, who still visit often.
“They could always turn to Levi. Now they can come to us. They were at the door on New Year’s Eve. We’ve thrown open the whole house. The fireworks here have never been so loud.”
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