It’s been a reflective week at KCAH. Every year St-Martin-in-the-Fields hold a memorial service for the rough sleepers in London who have died in the past year and every year they send an email to all the organisations that work in the homelessness sector asking for the names of those who are known to have passed.
We always have names to add and, this year, one of those names is Mihai.
I received an email from someone this week who first met Mihai (and knew him as Michael) at a KCAH night shelter in 2013. She tells his story so beautifully I would like to share it with you here.
“I first met him when Emmanuel Church, Tolworth, was in charge of the Night Shelter at St Peter’s, Norbiton, and later when I was assisting with breakfasts at Christ Church, Surbiton Hill. Meanwhile I had seen him locally in the Browns Road and Fishponds area of Surbiton Hill.
At one point Michael was assisting at an Italian restaurant in Ewell Road. The owner let him sleep in a car in Browns Road. I passed by one winter evening when he was in the car, went home, and returned with an eiderdown. Another time, a bit later, in the same cold weather, I invited him to come to my house to ‘sofa surf’, which he did.
So began his return to a more normal life. He was alcohol dependent and smoker of strong tobacco and weed. He continued to work at the Italian restaurant, but eventually entered paid work. His first job was on the industrial estate at Chessington, cutting fibre glass panels. This was affecting his health, so did not last. He was then recruited by the team running Kingston Council’s Parks and Gardens upkeep. This was something that suited him well. He enjoyed being out of doors, having compassion for animals and wildlife.
The end of that job came when the workers had blood tests for cannabis residue. Several failed, including Michael. He then did some private painting and gardening work, with the promise of more, that did not materialise. He was at home, helping with some chores and looking after himself. He spoke to his mother in Romania every Wednesday and Saturday morning, and made a connection with his brother and others at Easter and Christmas via on-line links.
He had a hernia operation in Kingston Hospital, but had fully recovered. He was receiving Universal Credit for much of the time after he lost his job.
In November of 2025 Michael complained that he could not swallow easily. This was an indication of the oesophageal cancer that had taken over his body. This was investigated and he was fitted with a tube to deliver Nutricia food into his digestive system. We spent much time visiting various Royal Marsden hospitals. Michael had three rounds of chemotherapy, but a scan of his throat showed that the cancer had spread to the larynx. It was shortly after this that I called an ambulance to collect Michael to take him to Kingston Hospital, on August 23rd, as he couldn’t breathe easily. He was fitted with an oxygen mask…. he had succumbed to bronchial pneumonia.
For someone who had a body mass of 60+ Kg to be reduced to 40- Kg within a short space of time made him skeletal, and in pain. He had been a footballer, keen to keep his body in shape all of his life. He was 52 when he slipped away from life.
Michael was visited by Rev John Shepherd, of Christ Church, Surbiton Hill, on the Sunday before he died. They had a conversation and prayed. John had visited him at home previously. Michael had deteriorated when I visited him on the following Tuesday. I talked to him and he made noises to let me know he understood.
The funeral will take place on October 6th, 3.00 p.m. at Kingston Crematorium. There will be a live stream of the service.
Michael was grateful to KCAH for the night shelters that he used.”
The average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is 44-45 for men and 42-43 for women. While serious illness can strike at any time for anyone, the trauma of protracted time living on the streets physically weakens a body’s immune system and the mental isolation can delay vital medical intervention. Our work is to move people into housing as quickly as possible and, like the author of the eulogy, become the support network that reignites a sense of self-worth.
The Big Sleep Out is our biggest fundraising event of the year. If you can’t attend you can still donate to the cause here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-GB/peer-to-peer/the-big-sleep-out–2026
Thank you.
Live stream link.