Posted online: Jun 29th, 2009

THE mother of a County Derry man who died without warning has called on sports clubs to cover the cost of a simple health check that could save young lives.

Newbridge woman Patricia McPeake spoke out this week just three months after her 20-year-old son Damian died suddenly during a car trip with a friend.

His grieving parents were told two weeks ago that their son died as a result Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).

In Damian’s case it was a condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy that claimed his life.

In most cases, SADS victims are young, fit and healthy and die without warning.

Electrician Damien, who died just three weeks short of his 21^st birthday, was travelling to his Newbridge home from Cookstown when he passed away in the passenger seat of a friend’s car near Moneymore without warning on April 3 this year.

Realising something serious was wrong, Damian’s friend rushed his dying pal straight to the Mid Ulster Hospital in Magherafelt where medics fought to save his life.

Despite their efforts, Damian was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.

Now Damian’s devastated mother has called on sporting groups to ensure no more young people die in tragic circumstances.

“As a family, we would call on all sporting organisations to consider at least making their members aware of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome this disease is most prevalent in people within the ages of ten to 40,” said Patricia.

“We realise that people individually do genuinely care, are very concerned and sympathise with our loss, but the question is, do those individuals who manage sporting organisations care enough about their own members to at least inform them and their families of this disease?, do they care enough to organise a health risk assessment for all their members at local level and enquire about their general health?, or do they really care and go further and offer to subsidise screening? The cost of screening is the price of a cheap pair of trainers – £35.

“These same questions could be asked of the education boards where most young children are introduced to sports.

“In the same way that all children are vaccinated, they should also be screened.

“If you are lucky enough to have symptoms, then they might be: Chest pain, dizziness, fainting, heart failure, high blood pressure, light-headedness, palpitations, shortness of breath, or the first and last symptom in some cases is sudden death.”