Two years have passed since we lost Appa. As people live longer, they live several different lives. In the short time that Appa was with us, he lived so many lives to count. Appa was never the type of person who could sit still, always wanting to learn more, explore the world and help everyone he could. He was humble in his successes and extremely hard working. He selflessly sacrificed so much for us and our wider family and we will always be thankful for that. Every accomplishment or milestone in our lives is bittersweet knowing he is not here to enjoy it with us.

Now that lockdown has been easing in London, we can’t help but think about how much emptier every event feels without having Appa here to make us laugh and guide us. We always look forward to hearing stories about him and the funny things he would say or do, or seeing the pictures of him people have come across over the years. Knowing that he’s in your thoughts means a lot to us because he is always in ours.

Losing Appa is the hardest thing we’ve ever been through. Time is the only thing that can heal the pain of losing the best father we could have asked for but we would be lost without the help and support we have received from our loved ones. We would like to express our deepest appreciation and sincerest gratitude to everyone who has supported us since our loss. Thank you to our friends and family who were there with us in Botswana, South Africa and everyone who continues to support us here in the UK. We are also extremely grateful to still have people who check in on us.

Having such an amazing Appa is an honour. We’re so lucky to be his family. We are thankful that you have kept us in your prayers and hearts. We will cherish the memories we share with him and those you have shared with us. Through your presence, messages and calls, we have been able to witness what Appa has meant to his community all over the world. Appa, we miss you every day. Thank you for everything you have done for us. We hope we are making you proud.

All our love, Amma and Nitha, Pragi boy and Prash