THE MOTHER of a diabetic teen whose funeral brought 400 people to Christ Church called hospitals and his Ipswich university after having a premonition he had died.

Caleb Guppy, 19, died in May after levels of acid Ketones, created when the body burns its own fat, hit fatal levels. The computer design student was studying at the University of Suffolk and had dreams of working in the gaming industry.

Mum Karen Howse, 39, described waking up suddenly on the day of his death: “I’m not a religious person, but I woke up at 2.06am. I had had a dream he had passed away.

“I rang him and I rang the hospitals. I still had this horrible feeling. They must have thought I was mad.”

When she convinced staff at Caleb’s university halls to check his room, the talented teenager was found dead.

More than 400 friends and family attended the youngster’s funeral at Christ Church, Old Town. And a fundraising campaign launched in his memory has brought in hundreds of pounds to refurbish a corner of the sixth form common room at Lydiard Park Academy.

Caleb was head boy at the west Swindon school. Karen said: “He was the only person who would walk into a sixth form common room with a light sabre challenging people to a duel and still have friends. He was really popular, but not in a conventional sense. He flitted between the nerds and the popular girls.”

The red-headed youngster was a keen fan of animé cartoons. His coffin was vinyl wrapped with a design featuring his favourite characters, including Pokemon animals and huntresses from American cartoon series Rwby.

A corner of Lydiard Park Academy will be fitted out with a new orange-leather sofa and seating wrapped in the cartoon-covered vinyl that adorned his coffin. The bright designs are in homage to his ginger hair and love of animé.

Paying tribute to her son, Karen said: “I was only 20 when I had him. By the time he turned 18 he was my best friend. His sister Ezra, five, has exactly the same mannerisms. I look at her every day and she reminds me of him.”

Teacher’s tribute to ‘charming and polite’ boy

CALEB’S former teacher paid tribute to the popular Lydiard Park Academy student.

Jainine Grey, head of Year 12, said it was a shock to hear of the 19-year-old’s death.

She described the lad as charming and police: “As one of the first aiders I spent a lot of time with him managing his diabetes while he was at school here. I really saw him flourish into a wonderful young man throughout his time in the sixth form.

“Caleb was a very popular student with both his peers and all the staff here. He had a great sense of humour and was always willing to go that extra mile to help out. We have been overwhelmed with Karen’s fundraising and together we have decided to dedicate an area of the academy’s sixth form’s common room in his memory.

“Caleb’s Corner will be decorated in a crazy Marvel Comic Con theme that Caleb loved so much along with bright orange seating and a plaque.

“We will always remember Caleb with warm affection, he always made us laugh and will be greatly missed by his friends and family.”