A BRITISH teenager has tragically died in Malaysia after collapsing on a plane in his first trip abroad.
Ray Williams, 18, fell seriously ill with an infection during a trip to Thailand to train mixed martial arts as tributes begin to flood in for the “amazing young man”.
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The teenager reportedly contracted staphylococcus – a skin infection better known as staph – after developing his MMA skills in a gym in Thailand.
Staph infections are commonly caused by bacteria breaching the skin through skin-to-skin contact.
It is sometimes common for MMA fighters to suffer staph infections due to the intense grappling they perform on a regular basis as well as the sharing of the mats and equipment.
After noticing the infection, Ray was given tablets and told to rest and recover until the infection healed.
As the 18-year-old made his way back home to Bristol his condition rapidly worsened as he collapsed on a layover flight in Malaysia.
He was admitted into intensive care and put into an induced coma, Bristol Live reports.
Just days after being rushed to hospital Ray was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
Doctors said the blood infection caused severe damage to his heart, lungs, kidneys and liver.
Back home in Bristol people have been hit hard by the tragic news.
Ray’s coach and owner of Trojan Free Fighters where he was a regular said: “No words can explain the pain I feel right now.”
Mario Saeed told the BBC there was “not one person who wasn’t crying” in the gym when Ray’s death was announced.
He also told Bristol Live: “Ray was a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He was an amazing young man, he helped raise money for cancer and was loved by all.
“He is my brother. If he wasn’t at school he was with me, if he wasn’t at home he was with me, if he wasn’t with me then he was asleep. I don’t understand why his life was taken so young.”
Another person who had trained with Ray said: “He was family, pleasure for the limited time I met him and trained.”
A third devastated pal added: “So sad, was such a nice young man taken so young.”
To honour Ray, the Trojan gym and wider martial arts community in Bristol have already raised over £13,300 to pay for the teen’s family to fly out to Malaysia and say their goodbyes.
The organiser of the GoFundMe, friend Mark Turville, announced Ray’s passing by saying: “Absolutely devastated to have to say this, unfortunately we lost Ray yesterday.
“There aren’t words to express how we’re all feeling and I’m heartbroken for his family. 18 years old gone far far too soon.
“Such a kind and talented kid who deserved so much more time than he got.”
It comes as another MMA fighter was struck down with a severe staph infection that left him battling to save his leg from being amputated.
Australian Tim Schultz picked up the infection while training in Thailand and it spread from his foot to his knee, last year.
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