Devastated mother shares shocking photo of her son, 16, in his final hours after he took 'party drug' MDMA

<em>Reece Murphy died in hospital on July 2 after suffering a ‘bad reaction’ to MDMA (SWNS)</em>
Reece Murphy died in hospital on July 2 after suffering a ‘bad reaction’ to MDMA (SWNS)

This is the shocking photo of a teenager in his final hours after taking MDMA – released by his mum to show the dangers of drug use.

Reece Murphy, 16, died in hospital on July 2 after suffering a ‘bad reaction’ to the Class A party drug.

His mother, Sarah Lush, described the teenager as ‘kind, funny and caring’ and released the images of her son receiving medical treatment in a bid to deter other youngsters from experimenting.

Police say that Reece, and a 30-year-old man who was also hospitalised, are believed to have taken MDMA.

Miss Lush said her son had probably done drugs before, but was found seriously ill on July 1 at a house in Taunton, Somerset.

<em>Reece’s mother, Sarah Lush, described the teenager as ‘kind, funny and caring’ (SWNS)</em>
Reece’s mother, Sarah Lush, described the teenager as ‘kind, funny and caring’ (SWNS)

She said: ‘My heart is empty, I want to wake up and it’s all a dream. I can’t imagine my life without him in it.

‘I’m never going to hear his voice or laugh again. It’s all surreal at the moment and I’m not ready to accept it.’

Reece lived with his mum in Dorchester, Dorset, and was planning to start a college course in demolition.

He was treated at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset, and his mother praised staff who ‘fought for him’ until his death.

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Miss Lush said: ‘A majority of you may think drugs are all good and fun and games but at the end of the day they’re not, because it can end someone’s life, just like poor Reece’s.

‘Reece had done it a few times before and was okay, so he thought he was safe, but you just don’t know.

‘Please don’t take drugs, they ruin lives and families.’

She added: ‘He took a tablet with his friends. There was something in it that had a bad reaction – his body didn’t like it.

<em>Reece was planning to start a college course in demolition (SWNS)</em>
Reece was planning to start a college course in demolition (SWNS)

‘It shut down his organs, one by one. He had two nurses working on him 24 hours a day.

‘They never left his side or stopped fighting for him for a second.

‘In spite of that, Reece just kept getting worse and in the end there was nothing more they could do.

‘It would have been cruel to him because all the medication he was on it started to take its toll on his body.’

A fundraising page has been started to pay for Reece’s funeral.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Constabulary said they were carrying out enquiries in the local area ‘focusing on when, where and how the victims obtained the dru