A Wheatley woman is mourning the loss of her son, a Canadian veteran who was killed in Syria.

John Gallagher, who spent part of his youth in Wheatley, was killed while fighting Islamic State militants.

His mother, Valerie Carder, shared the tragic news on Facebook on Wednesday.

As a young boy he was an air cadet. In high school, he became part of the Essex County Scottish regiment and then transferred from the reserves to the Canadian Armed Forces at 18 years old.

“When he was in the military, when he was young I think that he was very, very proud,” says Carder.

Gallagher, 32, was killed by a suicide bomber during a mission to take back a village from ISIS. 

"There is a very different mindset that is established in some groups of people in religious fundamentalist of whatever faith who believe that there is only their way and that everyone else is wrong," says Carder.

"It's dangerous, inside the city too because ISIS is everywhere."

Carder said her son felt “that it was important to do what was right,” and that’s why he joined the fight against ISIS. 

“The people who know him will have memories of him being funny and sarcastic and know that he knew everything about movies,” says Carder.

Carder last spoke with her only son last Friday.

"I've tried to remind myself that there have been mothers whose children have gone in conflict for millennia and I'm just one of all of those people,” says Carder. “Right now, it's a little bit hard."

Gallagher had once served in Bosnia under the Canadian Armed Forces and left the military in 2005.

Mohamad Hameed, a Kurdish fighter who battled ISIS alongside Gallagher, told CTV News Channel Thursday that his Canadian friend wanted to help “the humanity” and make a difference.

Hameed said Gallagher told him that ISIS members were “devils” who wanted to “kill everybody.”

Hameed offered his condolences to Gallagher’s mother in the TV interview.

“I’m so sorry for your loss, but your son, he was brave,” he said.

Condolences also poured in on Facebook and Carder says she is grateful for the support.

"It's nice to hear other people who knew him commend him for his passion and integrity,” says Carder.

Carder says before Gallagher headed overseas, he posted an essay online titled “Why the war in kurdistan matters.”

Carder encourages the public to read the essay in his honour.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group, confirmed Gallagher’s death in a suicide bombing.

Fighters on the ground told CTV News that Gallagher was the only victim of the suicide bombing, although two others were injured.

With files from CTVNews.ca.