THE FAMILY of a young electrical engineer is to hold a fun day in his memory.

Holywell resident Adele Morris hopes to make more people aware of the auto immune disease colitis.

A complication of the illness - which caused an inflammation in the bowel - was the main factor in her son James Hurst's death, miss Morris told the Leader.

He died on December 15 last year at the age of 25.

Miss Morris explained: "James was diagnosed with colitis in 2009.

"He had all sorts of complications through it. Unfortunately for James he coudn't tolerate the medication he was on.

"He was getting terrible reactions. From one of the medications he ended up having no immune system and had to be rushed to hospital to have blood transfusions.

"He had to have brain surgery because he had toxoplasmosis, then he developed epilepsy so he had quite a lot going on and this was all through medication and the illness.

"But he never moaned, he just went to work and got on with it. Everyone who met him had nothing bad to say about him. He was very well liked and such a humble and caring soul.

"When he passed away his work colleagues couldn't believe it because they didn't realise how ill he was."

Miss Morris and her family have arranged a fun day and awareness raising event for the charity Chron's and Colitis UK, which will be held at the Abbots Arms in Pen-y-Maes Road, Holywell, from 1pm on June 10.

She said she feels more families need to be aware of the condition, which James' grandmother Valerie Morris also has.

Valerie Morris said: "Colitis develops either in your late teens or early 20s and there isn't a cure as such, it is more a case of treatment.

"James was very laid back. He was a man of few words but what he said was worth saying.

"It is such a shame he missed so much of his youth. He passed is test and got himself a little car and then all of these horrible things happened."

James' brother Jay Graham, 20, told the Leader: "We've got some local bands and artists to play so they get some recognition as well, and we have a DJ.

"We just want to make James proud and raise awareness for the cause.

"It is not going to be a morbid day - it is going to be happy and cheerful.

"One of the things that will always stand out for me is that Neck Deep from Wrexham was his favourite band.

"The drummer Dani met James quite a few times. James was supposed to go to a drum clinic that he was doing but he passed away that day so we messaged Dani on twitter - he donated all the money he made for the funeral costs from the drum clinic."

Funds raised at the fun day - which will feature music, bouncy castles, food and drink, a raffle and more - will be donated to Chron's and Colitis UK.