Memorial Fund Set Up for Mirfield Teenager Who Died After Being Found Collapsed in the Street

James Hick died suddenly due to an undiagnosed heart condition

The family of a fit and well teenager who died suddenly in the street due to an undiagnosed condition have paid tribute and set up a fund in his memory.

James Hick was found collapsed on Southway in Mirfield on April 18 this year. Passers-by desperately tried to revive him but tragically the 14-year-old was pronounced dead .

Unbeknown to James and his family, he had an undiagnosed heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. The condition affects one person in every 500, and most who have it have few, if any, symptoms.

James' family have said he would still be here today if they had known about the treatable condition, and have now set up a memorial fund for the screening of young people in the community.

Paying tribute to James, parents Louise and Michael said: "James loved life and had a wonderful future ahead of him. He was intelligent, handsome, caring, a pain in the neck at times but we loved him more than words can say.

"James had an undiagnosed heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. If we had known about it, it was treatable and he would still be here today.

"Our lives will never be the same without James."

"James had no previous symptoms, there was nothing he couldn't do. He played and was brilliant at crown green bowling, football, rugby, to name a few. [He] was fit and well that Wednesday morning. It was just a normal day until he collapsed on his way to school and suffered a cardiac arrest.

"Our lives will never be the same without him. James had a huge presence and personality that will be missed forever and always. He has left behind heartbroken parents, four younger brothers, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and many friends.

"James we love you so much. You will never be forgotten. Forever in our thoughts and hearts you will stay."

The memorial fund has been set up in aid of charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), who provide heart screening programs among young people to detect the condition and save lives.

What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?

• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition where the muscle wall of the heart thickens, making it stiff. This makes it harder for your heart to pump out blood, and can lead to cardiac arrest.
• The condition affects one in 500 people, and is genetic. Each child of someone with HCM has a 50% chance of inheriting it.
• Most people who have the condition have very little, if any, symptoms. Although symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pains, heart palpitations and feeling light-headed or faint.
• Some people with the condition may never have serious problems, and can control the symptoms with treatment.
• For others, a number of conditions can develop such as abnormal heart rhythms, endocarditis and heart block. A small number of people are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
• The condition can be diagnosed through various methods of screening, or a genetic test to identify if you carry the faulty gene.
• Once diagnosed, HCM can be monitored with an ICD while medicines and a pacemaker can also control blood pressure and heart rate.

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Story Credit: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/memorial-fund-set-up-mirfield-15462080

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Since you’re here, we have a small favor to ask. Requests from schools and districts for our screening services are growing, which means that the need for funds to cover the cost of those services is also growing. We want to make our services available to those who request it and beyond, so you can see why we need your help. Safebeat heart screenings take a lot of time, money, and hard work to produce but we do it because we understand the value of a child's life, PRICELESS!

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