Michael Beetham (1989

4th Febuary 2012 - at approx 7pm it will be 4 yrs since you left us on this earth. A little of us left that day also and we continue to come to terms with life without you. We know you are with us, it's just not the same. What i would do to have another of your hugs! Not a day goes by without you being in our thoughts. Love you Champ. XOXOXOXO

25th December 2011 - Merry Christmas in Heaven my dear son. Hard to believe it's our 4th Christmas without you

here with us. Always in my heart my dear one xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Friday 4 February 2011 will be a very hard day. It marks three years since our much loved son Michael passed on from this world.

Michael, or Beetle to his many friends passed away in an horrific car accident on Monday 4th February 2008 at 7.10pm. This is a date and time that will be forever etched into our memory. I don't know how we've managed to continue living without Michael in our lives, he left us much richer for having known his kind, happy, carefree soul. We will never know why he had to leave us so soon, not until the day we are reunited one day in Heaven.

It took a quite some time and many, many phone calls for Michael to be finally accepted as a voluntary resident into a residential treatment facility at Burleigh by the name of Mirikai Therapeutic Centre. Michael went into treatment late November 2007. He found life at the centre difficult and although we went to see him every time we were allowed, it wasn't the same as having him home with us again. He missed being with his family at home and we missed him terribly. We spent a day down there 3 weeks after he arrived (the rules state that residents aren't allowed visitors for the first 3wks) and watched a play Michael was a part of. It was a wonderful day and Michael looked so happy and content, we had no idea he was so unhappy.

Michael came home to spend Christmas day with us. Sadly we had to have him back at the centre before 3.30pm. It was tough on us as we'd never been apart on Christmas day and it was always a big family celebration. It was sad to have to take him back, but we thought we were taking him to the best place possible to help in his recovery.

In early January I received a phone call from Mike and his counsellor asking for him to come home for two weeks as he wasn't coping so well with the centre. I agreed and picked him up. But the time did not go as smoothly as it should have. Michael was struggling with his addiction and stole some of my medication for my back problem.

I broke down after I found he'd taken my medication as I thought if he continued with this behaviour he would never be able to become free of drugs. How was I to know my words to Mirikai would prove true. I rang them and begged them to take Mike back sooner than arranged and told them if they didn't Michael wouldn't live till his 19th Birthday. I would give anything to take back those words! Tragically even though they did take him back, he did die before his 19th Birthday!

On the day before the accident Michael's Dad (Trevor) took his friends Candi & Mark & his best-friend and cousin,Matt down to see him. Mike was allowed to be taken out for the day, so they went to Cavill ave at Surfers Paradise and played in Time Zone. I couldn't go as I'd only had back fusion surgery on the 22nd January and couldn't walk properly. I so wished I could've gone.

When he returned home Trevor was so happy for Mike and said he looked and sounded better than he'd ever been. How wrong he was!

Michael called us around 4.30pm on the 4th February wanting to come home again. I spoke to him briefly and told him he couldn't come home yet as I was not up to looking after him. I remember telling him I loved him too much to risk him coming home and taking drugs again. His Dad (Trevor) spoke to Mike & his counsellor for a good 45 minutes and when he ended the conversation it was agreed Michael was going to stay put at Mirikai until the following Tuesday, then if he still wanted to come home Trevor would go down, pick him up and we would work out from there the best thing to do for Mike.

Sadly Michael could not/would not/did not wait - The rest of this story is pieced together from witness accounts and information from other sources: As far as we know this is what we believed happened - A "Court Ordered Resident" by the name of Luke Riley spoke to Mike at length. Luke had only been in the facility for 2 days and we believe was looking for someone to walk out with him. I have also found out since Luke had already tried to talk a few of the other residents into going with him, but our Mike was the one who went.

What we know as fact:
Michael was pining for his family and friends. For whatever reason Mike went with Luke to the local Stocklands Shopping Centre and stole a car.

We do not know exactly what time this was and only know it was between 6pm - 7.10pm. From eyewitness reports the stolen car was speeding excessively and weaving in and out of traffic. They were headed northbound on the M1.

As the owner of the car was reporting it stolen the Police informed him it was involved in a major accident. It seems Luke lost control of the car went into the median ditch where the car hit a drain (ripping much of the underbody of the car).

After hitting the drain the car launched into the air narrowly missing a ute and another car and the passenger side hit the front right hand side of a very large truck. Michael was sitting in the front passenger's side of the car.

Michael's poor body suffered more damage than anyone could imagine

If eyewitness reports are true he may not have been alive when the car impacted the truck. One person who saw the accident believes Michael suffered a broken neck when the car hit the concrete drain in the median strip. Of Mike's many, many injuries one of them was indeed a broken neck. After speaking with our family Doctor (who has read the Autopsy Report) I believe Michael did NOT SUFFER. I've been told if his neck was broken from the drain, he would never have felt the impact on the truck. I pray everyday this is the case as I do not want to believe my son suffered for one minute. The coroner could not identify which of the many injuries Michael died from and it states on his Death Certificate - (a) Multiple Injuries Car Accident (b) passenger in a car accident. Michael was pronounced dead at the scene and like Luke had to be cut out of the wreckage. Luke(the driver) survived the accident however he died either on the way to Hospital or soon after arrival. I pray for both our boy Michael and Luke and his family.

We believe Michael did not know Luke before this tragic event however we have heard they may have had some friends in common. I do feel Mike was just trying to get home and the toxicology tests show he had no illegal drugs in his body at the time of his death.

May you now rest in peace my son, we will love you forever more.

Christmas 2010: I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone without you here with us my Darling Son! You are always in my Heart, although it's now changed forever with you gone

Memorial sidecar for our son who was meant to be the passenger, but sadly died before this bike was ready! Thank You to Buddy for having Michael's sticker & our last name on his Sidecar. WE LOVE IT AND WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!

IT'S NOW BEEN 2 years since you left us, my Darling son Michael, but I think of you Everyday!! NOT ONE DAY GOES BY WITHOUT THOUGHTS OF YOU!! You will always be loved Unconditionally, Always Remembered, Never Forgotten!! I miss you so much it HURTS!!

04/02/2010

It's still so very hard to be here without him, knowing I cannot hug him or have him give me a hug or say the words I long to hear "I Love You Mum!"

I know Mike will be celebrating his special day in Heaven, but as all parents who've lost a child will know, IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME!!!! Most of us know they are okay and happy and safe, however it's not the same as having them here with us and our Families!!

Happy Birthday my very special son, you were and still are unconditionally loved, sadly missed and forever remembered!

We will be putting up a new, more permanent cross for Mike. It will have a beautiful plaque pictured here added and Aunty Bev has added her own personal touch by writing Mike's name in a lovely calligraphy type script. Mike would be very proud of all his family and friends who are coming over to be with us on this very sad, tragic day. However, we will also be sharing stories about our little rascal Mike

Michael MEMORIAL TATTOO'S: Thank You to the following friends and family who went through the pain, financially & physically to honour our son with Memorial Tattoo's

I've just had my (Mike's Mum) Memorial Tattoo done not long ago. It says between the dragon: "Michael, My Heart, My Son, 18yrs". I may eventually change it and put in his date of Birth and the day we lost him, but am about to undergo Major back surgery for the 2nd time (the last time I was only out of surgery 10days when Michael died, so I didn't do what I was meant to do and didn't care. This time will be different!)

Mike's Ex-Girlfriend SARAH (although always his girl in his heart, they wanted to be together after he was clean). Has another tattoo & told me the biggest Cherry Blossom was for Michael! I know she still misses & Loves him, as we do! FOREVER LOVED MICHAEL !!

Good Friend Danni: Tattoo Tribute to Beetle/Michael & another friend who also passed away too soon (Brendan) Mike's tattoo is the top one with the Beetle on it.

Newly added writing by Mum in Tributes in condolences, please feel free to have a look.

Our Dearly Loved Son: You are the Sunshine in our Lives.

Kind Thank You from the bottom of our hearts to Julie & Roy McGregor for this lovely picture.

Thank You to the Family of Brent Bowden for making us this beautiful photo of our son Michael. I am very grateful you know how to touch my heart, even when your's has been broken also.

I've updated some things about drug addiction in the legacy part of this site. Michael was our son, he may not have been perfect, but he was perfect for us!

We believe the measure of one's life is more than the way in which they died.

We laid our Dearly loved son's ashes to rest at the Chinese Buddhist Temple on Sunday 31st August. Even though we are not Buddhist and neither was Michael, he found the Temple gave him peace and tranquility. He really liked the fact that the Buddhist's do no JUDGE anyone. He was very much like that himself!

Inside Temple

Michael's Dad, Trevor takes time to reflect on our beautiful son's life