Parksville man who died from rabies remembered as kind, hard-working martial arts instructor

CHEK
WatchFamily and friends are mourning the loss of a 21-year-old man who died from rabies.

The Parksville man who died from rabies after he came into contact with an infected bat on Vancouver Island this spring is being remembered as kind, hard-working, and a martial arts instructor who always built caring relationships with his students.

Nick Major died at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver on Saturday. He had developed rabies symptoms six weeks after coming into contact with a bat on Vancouver Island in the middle of May. The location of the encounter and species of bat have not been revealed by officials.

“Our heart goes out to Nick and his family,” Cascadia Martial Arts in Parksville posted to Facebook on Tuesday after Major’s death was confirmed by family and friends. 

Tributes and condolences have been pouring in for Major in the comment section.

A GoFundMe was set up by Cascadia Martial Arts when Major was in the hospital to support him and his family.

“Nick is kind, works hard, and has built caring relationships will all his students,” Cascadia wrote in the campaign.

Our heart goes out to Nick and his family….

Posted by Cascadia Martial Arts – Parksville on Saturday, July 13, 2019

An update was later posted on the GoFundMe page on Saturday when Major died.

“It is with profound sadness today that Nick went peacefully in his sleep this morning. Nick was an inspiration to everyone, and his memory will continue to inspire others as we remember him. This was such a shocking and unbelievably devastating loss for Nick’s family.”

The GoFundMe is still open to raise funds for funeral costs and to help provide time for the family to grieve. It can be found here.

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