A little over a year ago my supervisor went to Japan on a business trip. I would have normally gone on that trip, but I was on business in Brazil. He had lunch and called his wife. When he didn't return to the meeting after lunch, the clients went looking for him and found him unconscious. Emergency medical personnel revived him, but ultimately discovered he was brain dead. It was very difficult for his wife to travel to Japan and deal with the issues of having the life support system disconnected. Dealing with laws in a different country can be very difficult. These issues can be compounded with the associated grief.
I still miss him greatly and all the support he provided me. His wife has had great difficulty since his death.
I can't imagine how your friend is dealing with such a difficult issue. I discovered I was in a stupor after my late wife passed away. I realized this after the fact as the grief started to diminish. I also remember driving my Corvette convertible in a caravan to Nashville for the Corvette 50th Anniversary celebration. This trip in the Corvette helped me through my grief.
I hope cycling can help your friend with his grief.