A devoted Aston Villa fan and “superstar schoolboy” died of a suspected asthma attack hours after a family party.
Archie Hughes, 11, suddenly stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest after leaving last Saturday night’s party with his grandmother.
He was rushed to hospital but died hours later, Birmingham Live reported.
Archie’s aunt Michela Hughes, 31, and from Solihull, said the family was in “unbelievable shock” after the popular schoolboy’s death.
She said: “Archie was so cheeky, he had a proper funny personality, a really confident little boy.
“It’s an unbelievable shock. He’s my sister-in-law’s only child.
“We’re trying to support one another and in our minds planning a celebration that he absolutely deserves.
“Everything he did for us, his personality and his short 11 years, we want to be able to do something for him.
You don’t expect this to happen to a child. The one thing you expect is lots of time – just unbelievable.
“We had been at an engagement party for my brother on Saturday.
“Archie was the life and soul of the party, dancing, socialising. That’s just what he was like, he’d make friends with anyone.”
She added he was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where medics tried to resuscitate Archie for around an hour before he was pronounced dead.
He had a lifelong history of asthma and attended Archbishop Ilsley Catholic Secondary School in Acocks Green.
Michela added: “He was an absolute superstar. He was very sociable and would always talk about football.
“He had a fantastic sense of humour and he was able to make such funny jokes, even with adults.
“Archie was very kind, caring, loving and affectionate. Everyone always got a kiss hello and a kiss goodbye.
“Archie was a huge Villa fan. He knew everything about the club, statistics, the players.
“He loved football so much that he even came to the Blues with me. He had to turn his Villa gloves inside out! He desperately loved football.
“If he found out you were a Villa fan you’d be instant best friends. If he didn’t go to Villa Park, he’d be watching every match on TV and the highlights and if we were out and about he’d be asking us to check the Villa score.”
She said Archie’s favourite players were England stars Mings, 28, and Grealish, 26.