First heart checks in Shropshire teenager's memory

Matthew Dewhirst, a pupil at Ellesmere College, died from Young Sudden Cardiac Death in 2012, aged just 17.

He was a county rugby player and also enjoyed football and cricket.

Following the tragedy his parents, Sue and Chris Dewhirst, launched a fundraising and health awareness campaign, saying a simple preventative health check could have saved Matthew's life.

To date the fund has raised more than £30,000 and this money is being put towards a cardiac screening programme in Shropshire and Cheshire.

One of the first screening events will be at Ellesmere College on May 3 and 4, which is being supported by Oswestry Lions.

It is donating £3,500 to the campaign, which, Mrs Dewhirst said, would cover the cost of screening 100 young people.

"I think Matthew would probably be very embarrassed about all the fuss we are making in his name," she said.

"But he was always a very fair and just person, and we know that he wouldn't want others to suffer, because they didn't know about Young Sudden Cardiac Death."

The condition kills 12 young people every week.

There are about 160,000 young people currently in the UK, aged 14 to 25 years – three in every 100 – that have a life-threatening heart condition and don't realise it.

Mrs Dewhirst added: "It costs £35 for a young person to have the initial ECG to screen for heart defects.

"This is less than we used to spend on a mouth guard at the start of every season for Matt.

"We are asking young people and their parents, please do take advantage of the free screening on the dates below and also donate to help us screen others if you can afford to," Mrs Dewhirst said.

"The screening is completely unobtrusive and won't hurt at all."

Fundraising is continuing with a golf tournament at Carden Park near Whitchurch on April 4 and bag packing at Sainsbury's in Oswestry on May 24 between 10am and 4pm.

To find out more about the screening programme call Mrs Dewhirst on 07789 415242 or email mail@CRY-for-matthew.org.uk