Keith Carabott was doing a jump rope workout on the roof of his Żejtun home in February while his father hung out the laundry when he got a sudden strong headache and “lost control of his body”.

Keith – who was 18 at the time - had suffered his first of multiple strokes that resulted in him getting severe brain damage. To this day, his family and doctors do not know what could have caused the strokes.

“Keith was a healthy young man. He never complained of anything… It happened on February 15 on the roof of our house. I had gone up on the roof to hang the clothes and Keith came upstairs with me to train. His 13-year-old brother was with us. Keith was very much into training. He liked football and gym,” says his father, Omar, adding that Keith was studying to become an accountant.

“Keith was jumping rope. All of a sudden he said: my head hurts, my head hurts. Then he lost control of his body. He was conscious. His eyes were open but he could not control his body,” his father recalls.

'We lost him on that day'

Keith was taken to Mater Dei Hospital where an MRI revealed he had suffered a stroke that damaged part of his brain. Over the next few days, while in hospital, Keith suffered other strokes. This led to severe brain damage.

“We lost him on that day. He does not see us. He can’t talk to us,” his father says.

Keith has remained in hospital ever since. His family hope to one day be able to take him home but, for now, doctors are telling them that the hospital is better equipped to care for him.

Meanwhile, friends of the family are supporting with fundraisers to help cover current and future costs that include medicines and a specialised wheelchair.

In the future, if doctors advise it is the right time, the family may need to make changes to their home to welcome Keith back. This may include the installation of a lift.

"People have been very helpful. All I can say at this point is: Never take life for granted," Omar says.

In a recent fundraiser, some €900 was collected during a Drive for a Cause organised by Rotta, a community that celebrates automotive heritage.

On Friday (September 2), Keith’s friends are organising a five-a-side football tournament to raise funds to help support his family.

For more information about the tournament visit the Facebook Kick it for Keith event.