HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a young man from Flintshire who died suddenly at his home.

David Griffiths, 24, was found dead in the bathroom of his flat on Green Grove in Shotton.

Parents Christine and Michael paid tribute to their ‘baby boy’ who had suffered with epilepsy since the age of 14.

Speaking from the couple’s home in Chevrons Road, Shotton, Christine said: “When people think of epilepsy they think of dropping to the floor and having a seizure but it was never like that.

“He would just stop mid-conversation and stare and his pallor would change. He wouldn’t be able to do anything with his body. He could see us all doing things but he couldn’t do anything.”

David was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2000 when the family noticed strange mood swings and a change in pallor.

Christine said: “We were at a petrol station and he was sitting in the back of the car,” said Christine.

“His sister had nipped to the loo and as she came back to the car we told him to open the door for her but he kept trying to grab the handle and missing it.

“My mum said there was something wrong with him.”

In 2006 David had an operation remove a brain tumour and a further procedure to remove a cyst.

Michael, who works for URENCO in Capenhurst, said: “He kept his sense of humour even though he was going through the operations.

“His seizures improved but it was like he was going through adolescence again.”

Christine, who is in her final year of a psychology degree at the University of Chester, said her son just wanted to lead a normal life.

She said: “He would have loved a girlfriend. His four sisters have all got children and he doted on his nieces and nephews.

“He had already bought them all Easter eggs.”

Michael added: “David would have done anything for anyone. We called him ‘baby boy’ and ‘Davey boy’.”

An inquest into David’s death on Sunday, March 21 has been opened and tests are being carried out to determine the cause of death.

David leaves behind sisters Sarah-Jane, 30, Clare-Ann, 29, Elizabeth, 25 and Christine, 22.

A requiem mass will be celebrated at The Blessed Sacrament RC Church in Connah’s Quay on Wednesday.

Christine said: “We will be singing the Our Father at the service because when he was a boy and we took him to service, he would never sing the Our Father when everybody else did.

“Then we would move on to a different hymn, David would sing Our Father at the top of his voice.

“We thought it would be a nice touch.”