A lot of love for our 'beautiful' Alex (From Swindon Advertiser)

A lot of love for our 'beautiful' Alex

6:20am Thursday 26th November 2009

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FOR many grieving mothers the lingering scent on their child’s clothes can bring them back to her for just a second.

But for Tracy Szymanski, her son Alex’s immaculate room and colour-coordinated closet only serves as a painful reminder that her ‘beautiful boy’ is not coming home.

Rather than lock the door and hide away the key, the 45-year-old decided to auction her son’s belongings to raise money for a garden, to be built and nurtured in his memory.

Alex, 19, of Lynmouth Road, Churchward, died when he and his uncle, Shaun Hill, were involved in a three-vehicle crash on Wharf Road, near Wroughton, on November 2.

A 40-piece auction was held last night at the Famous Ale House in Redcliffe Street, Rodbourne, a place where only nine days ago his friends and family gathered to say their final goodbyes.

“Walking into Alex’s room doesn’t bring back memories,” said Tracy, 45. “It is just an unbearable reminder that I will never see him again, that he will never smile at me or tease me about my frizzy hair.

“I don’t want it to turn into a shrine to him, that just doesn’t feel right.

“I’d prefer to have a quiet place with a plaque and a bench where anyone who knew him could sit and talk to him and I couldn’t think of a better way to achieve that than to offer those he loved the chance to keep a piece of him, a memory of their time together.”

Each item was listed on a card which was then placed in a KFC or McDonald’s Happy Meal box – a tribute to Alex’s love of junk food.

Bidders would then bid blindly for items, including t-shirts, motocross kit, golf clubs, photographs and the wheels from Alex’s many previous cars.

Swindon businesses Honda, Curry Place Tandoori, Halfords, Citroen, Simpsons garage in Highworth and The Famous Ale House all pitched in with auction items including car care kits, t-shirts, baseball caps, free meals and car washes.

Childhood sweetheart Roxanne Bradford, 19, helped with the sad task of picking out each item.

“It was tough because everything has a story attached to it, ” she said. “But it was good to know that each thing would be treasured by someone who loved Alex.”

Of all the possessions Alex had, there was one treasured keepsake Roxanne could not bear to give up.

“For our first Valentines Day when we were 17 Alex bought me a teddy,” she said.

“That wouldn’t mean as much to anyone else as it means to me so I really couldn’t part with it.”

Alex’s family have not yet earmarked a plot for his memorial garden but hope to press on with plans early next year.

Tracy said: “When you lose someone so close to you it is important to do everything right, to pay tribute to them in the most appropriate way.

“My son was a wonderful boy and knowing that we are creating this legacy for him brings a little comfort to our devastating loss.”

To donate to the Alex Szymanski Memorial Garden Fund, call the Advertiser on 01793 501809 or send cheques, care of Swindon Advertiser to 100 Victoria Road, Old Town, Swindon.

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