One hundred teens to have heart screening in memory of cardiac death teen (From News Shopper)

One hundred teens to have cardiac screening in memory of Ben Daniels

10:34am Tuesday 26th June 2012 in Bromley By David Mills

THE parents of an aspiring sportsman who died after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing football are to host free heart screening sessions for 100 teenagers this weekend.

Ravens Wood School pupil Ben Daniels, aged 15, collapsed due to an undiagnosed heart condition at football training in March last year.

His parents Paul and Helena, from Bickley, set up the Ben Daniels Memorial Fund to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in the young and to fund screening sessions.

All 100 places for the screening on Saturday at the Old Elthamians Sports Club in Chislehurst have been filled but another session is planned for later in the year.

Mr Daniels said: “This screening event is an important milestone for Ben’s Fund and is a fitting and very special tribute to Ben – who is missed by so many of his school friends and sporting colleagues.

"He was such a role model and team player – we just knew we had to do something positive in his memory.

"I can’t thank our friends, neighbours and Ben’s friends enough for their efforts and energy in helping us to raise funds and continued awareness for of the importance of cardiac screening in young people."

The fund has been set up with the support of C-R-Y (Cardiac Risk in the Young).

Every week, 12 young (aged 35 and under) people lose their lives to sudden cardiac death in the UK - a statistic that is believed to be a conservative estimate.

A staggering 80 per cent of these apparently healthy young people who die from young sudden cardiac death will have shown no previous sign of heart defects until it is too late.