The family of a talented young footballer who died in his sleep are helping children get their heart screened in his memory. Jake Pickford, 16, from Abertysswg, near Rhymney, died suddenly on August 15, 2018, and was discovered when his sister Chloe went to wake him for food.
It was a sudden and devastating shock to Jake's family who had heard him up late playing video games just the night before he died. An inquest at Newport Coroners' Court in 2019 concluded that Jake had died as a result of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) and a conclusion of death by natural causes was recorded.
Over the last four years, his heartbroken family have raised over £20,000 for heart screening charity Cardiac Risk In The Young (CRY). They are using the money to get pupils at Jake's school, Idris Davies School, screened. They are calling for better accessibility of heart screening in the wider population as well as hoping to raise awareness of the risks of SADS in young people.
