In 2010 CJ Twomey, a former member of the US Air Force and a travel enthusiast, committed suicide, at the age of only 20.

For over three years his ashes remained in an urn on the mantelpiece of his mother Hallie. But last November she decided it was no fitting resting place, and that CJ's ashes should be scattered across the globe:

"It dawned on me that his ashes would be sitting in that urn forever. He didn't get to see the world and I wanted to give CJ something he didn't get a chance to have."

BBC reports that last November Hallie set up a Facebook page called 'Scattering CJ,' where she offered to send small packets of her son's ashes to volunteers who would scatter them across the world.

Offers were rare initially, but now over 9,000 people have expressed their desire to their part. Hallie chooses locations where the ashes have not already been scattered, and sends them in an envelope along with a photo of CJ wearing a Boston red Sox t shirt.

A list on the Facebook page contains over 100 locations, as diverse as St Lucia, Victoria Falls, Mongolia and Antarctica. 

CJ's story has resonated with many of the volunteers, some of whom have been troubled by thoughts of suicide themselves:

"Because of CJ and his journey, some people have shared with us that they no longer want to end their life," says Hallie. "We never for even one moment imagined that our son's story could save others."