Exeter man's death leaves family in shock

An Exeter family have been shocked by the sudden death of a “funny, caring and kind” 25-year-old man who loved music, animals, games and Vikings. Ricky Hill, who renamed himself Loki Helensson after researching his family’s Viking ancestry, died peacefully last Monday, June 3, in the house where he lived with his mother Helen.

Loki was born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of conditions that cause very flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin. Hypermobility has impacted his life in many ways, including the inability to walk, sit or stand for very long, or lift anything heavy.

There is no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and some types can affect the heart. The autopsy having failed to confirm the cause of his death, additional examinations must be carried out by a specialist pathologist who will examine his heart.

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Helen said: “His death was very sudden and was a complete shock. Everyone is in shock at the moment. Loki was unique, funny, fun and very, very caring. If anyone needed help, he would be the first to support it.

Loki Helensson with his brothers and his mother Helen(Image: Hélène Hill)

“He changed his first name, although not by deed, to Loki (regarded by the ancient Norse people as the god of mischief, deception and deception) and his surname to Helensson which meant ‘son of ‘Helen’.

“On gaming sites he was known as the Enigmatic Sloth, which he gave himself because the problems he was having with his limbs were slowing him down. We will put a big toy sloth on his coffin, his favorite hat and maybe a little posey instead of flowers.

“His other nickname was The Trickster because the god Loki was the trickster and it was also a play on words with his birth name Ricky.”

The story of Helen and Ricky on the front page of the Express and the Echo

Loki’s arrival into the world made the front pages of the Express and the Echo because when he was born, his mother had only three minutes to live after suffering massive blood loss. It was only thanks to doctors and nurses at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital that she survived.

Helen then raised Loki and his two older brothers as a single mother. He never moved away and the two men always shared a close bond.

Helen, now 65, said: “There’s 13 years between Loki and my second youngest son, but they’ve always been very close, and he was a bit surprised because I didn’t think I could have other children. It was the nicest surprise.

“Growing up, he was funny and cheeky, and because he had older brothers, he had an adult way of speaking that amused people.”

Loki Helensson when he was a student at the West Exe School(Image: Hélène Hill)

Loki attended Redhills Primary School, West Exe and Exeter College. In the latter he studied music and could play drums and bass guitar and had recently taken up the ocarina, a wind musical instrument.

Helen said: “He had a very musical mind. He loved all types of music. After university he worked for a call center at Sitel, but he really struggled with dealing with angry customers. It tore his confidence apart and he couldn’t work because he suffered from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and anxiety issues.

“Loki was a real housebird, but he had some very, very good friends who took him out, for example for walks. He loved online games. That was his social life.

“He also loved animals. He had a boa constrictor and after our dog, who was 16, died and we had her for 13 years, I spotted a dog on the Blue Cross foster site . He bought it for me for comfort and it is now my comfort on him.

Loki Helensson with the dog he bought for his mother(Image: Hélène Hill)

Loki was found deceased lying on the couch after Helen came home from work.

She recalls: “It was like he was sleeping, so we think his heart stopped. As horrible as the shock was, I don’t think he would have known anything about it. It’s as if he simply fell asleep and didn’t wake up.

No date has yet been confirmed for his funeral, but Helen says it will be a “unique” pagan funeral as he was not religious and believed in Norse paganism.

His family is raising funds for his funeral to give him a fitting farewell that will celebrate his life, passions and beliefs. The online GoFundMe page has already raised almost £5,000.

Loki Helensson with his boa constrictor Alice(Image: Hélène Hill)

Helen said: “I can only work part-time due to my health, I’m on minimum wage and I don’t have benefits. I hate asking for money and I’ve never had any before, but it’s so important to us.

“We have now raised enough money to cover a basic funeral, but we would really like him to have a memorial near his grandmother who died in 2017. We would also like him to have a wake. Any money that we will be able to harvest will be fantastic.

The family said all of Loki’s friends are welcome to attend his funeral and there will be no dress code. To donate to the fundraiser, please click here.