Hi there
It’s understandable that you’re worried about your friend and it’s clear that you care about him a lot. Running away could place him at further serious risk of harm. This will not help him emotionally to work through the death of his mum.
You don’t say in your letter what kind of help and support your friend already has, but there should be support in place for him.
However you can help him as a friend by being there and listening. Is there an other relative he could stay with? You could try to persuade him to talk to an adult whom he trusts.
This could be a relative, a teacher at school or college. You could make contact with a Connexions adviser at www.connexions-direct.com on behalf of your friend if he can't do this.
You could also suggest he checks out www.rd4u.org.uk this web site offers support for young people 12-18 years after the death of someone close.
Also suggest he comes and talks with a ChildLine counsellor about losing his mum and how this is making him feel. Counsellors will listen to what he has to say.
ChildLine is available 24/7 online in 1-2-1 or by phone on 0800 1111. Your friend could even place a message on the ChildLine message boards telling other young people how he feels and they could also offer him support. He's not alone.
Take care
Sam