The strength of the human spirit in the most terrible times provides a constant, humbling example to the rest of us whose lives, thankfully, have been less touched by tragedy.

Tressa Walsh lost her 23-year-old son when he was thousands of miles from home in a stupid street fight that should never have happened. Gearóid Walsh suffered severe head injuries in a Sydney suburb last week after being involved in a fight with a stranger outside a kebab shop after a night out drinking with his brother. He was punched, fell to the ground and hit his head. Four days later, his family agreed to take him off life support and he died. He had flown to Australia a few weeks earlier looking for a job.

Shortly after her son died, Tressa appealed for the man who hit him to turn himself in. The family, she said, "don't want him to torture himself over this. I don't see it as murder... As a mother I really feel for this guy… I am heartbroken for him because we don't blame him, we don't want him to serve time in prison. I think he was just very, very unlucky."

Within hours, a man walked into the local police station with his lawyer and has since been charged with manslaughter.

Gearóid Walsh's organs have been donated to six people who would otherwise have died.

The generosity of his mother is, quite simply, incredible.