A DEVOTED sister has released a book in tribute to her late brother, with the proceeds going to the alcohol and drug abuse charity which tried so hard to save his life.
Dr Laura Swash's Holding my Breath: Watching from the Sidelines of Addiction chronicles her relationship with brother Colin Game.
A well-known resident of New Town in Colchester, Mr Game passed away in November 2019 at the age of 63 after decades of alcohol and drug abuse.
The money raised from sales of the book will go to Open Road Colchester, which helped Mr Game during the last decade of his life.
Dr Swash, who used to live in West Mersea but now lives in Portugal, said: "After Colin died I thought about how invisible people like him are, with their 'Lucozade' bottles or brown paper bags on park benches, fooling nobody, not even themselves.
"We all walk past them, and know there is little we can do to help. Colin and I were luckier than most.
"We had a close relationship, despite the geographical difference.
"I managed to prevent him from becoming homeless, kept him fed and when he was on methadone rather than heroin he came out to Portugal for an occasional holiday.
"Of course, I couldn't keep him alive. But I have written a biography that is a memoir of our lives together, with some advice for relatives and loved ones of those with addictions."
The book chronicles the siblings' childhood growing up in postwar Colchester as well as throughout Mr Game's 40-years of addiction.
It includes tips for relatives in similar situations and a list of agencies and charities offering support.
Dr Swash, 66, said: "Colin was an ordinary boy and man who attended West Mersea Primary School and then the Gilberd School when it was still on North Hill, and worked briefly as a panel beater for the Co-op motor works, and also as a crane driver for the REME until amphetamines were found in his locker.
"He drifted into roofing work and gardening from then on - and casual labour for the Colchester landlord John Green.
"He died of liver failure and pneumonia complicated by emphysema, weighing about seven stone."
To purchase the book, visit https://books2read.com/holdingmybreath, https://tinyurl.com/ycu7mx89 or waterstones.com.
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