Son is campaign face

The face of a city schoolboy who died from Sudden Death Syndrome is leading a national campaign to highlight the tragic syndrome which claims eight young lives a week.

Soccer-mad Andrew Ball, aged 16, collapsed whilst playing in a Birmingham Sunday league game.  The Shenley Court School pupil was pronounced dead within minutes of being rushed to hospital

That was 24 years ago, and his dad Roy has dedicated his life to campaigning for more recognition of this syndrome, also known as cardiomyopathy.  Its a medical condition which thickens the heart muscle and can strike down seemingly healthy youngsters in the prime of life.

"I was the linesman at that match and I'd just told Andrew off for not playing properly," said Roy, aged 67, a retired Hackney carriage driver from Harborne.

Andrew's face is now part of a UK-wide postcard campaign which was launched last year to highlight this tragic condition which campaigners believe could be prevented if simple cardiac screening was more accessible.

The project has been run by the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.  CRY supporters want as many people as possible to send back postcards to MPs across the country to join the charity's All Party Parliamentary Group.

The eight faces on the postcards are all from the Midlands and include three other victims from Birmingham:

• Former Blue Coat school pupil Jennifer Pearce, aged 19, from Harborne, died suddenly in October 2003 while studying at Manchester University.

• Alison Linforth, aged 16, from Longbridge, collapsed and died less than an hour after starting her A-level studies at Cadbury Sixth Form College in October 2003.

• Paul Davies, aged 16, was certified dead at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital in January 1999 after coming off his bike while cycling through the grounds of Earls High School, near his Halesowen home.

More information about CRY is available from Roy Ball on 0121 681 8189