On the 2nd July
2005 Claire graduated in Fashion and Design. The graduation was
held at Wimborne Minster - a lovely location for a graduation and she
looked beautiful with her beaming smile. After the graduation, the
following day, Claire flew over to Spain for a holiday
with her friend Jackie to
stay at my brother's flat. My son Mark went out a few days later and
when Jackie flew back I went over for a few days to spend with Mark and
Claire to celebrate my birthday.
The weather was superb,
both Mark and Claire looked radiant with their sun tans. The food and
wine flowed, the restaurants came highly recommended from my brother
Simon. In particular the restaurant Casa Fidel, Balamedena where we
drank a toast to Mark and Claire’s futures.
On my return to England I
said to one of my office staff that I'd had a great time. I could not
have enjoyed myself more - both Mark and Claire, at their respective
ages of 24 and 22, were two young people that were well adjusted, able
to mix with all walks of life, happy and I felt were well prepared for
the future. As a father what more could one ask for?
On the 15th
August 2005, Claire phoned me, it was always “Hi Dad". She asked me
if we could go to the pictures in Basingstoke the following Friday, I
suggested we should eat first. On the 19th August, Claire
drove out to my house in Compton at 6.30pm, so that I could have a drink
that evening, and picked me up and we drove to the Pizza Hut in Newbury.
I must say we both ate very well and talked about everything under the
sun. We decided not to go on to the pictures as Claire felt a little
tired as she had been out late the night before.
We decided to drive back to
my house and watch a movie, which happened to be 'Meet The Fockers'. I
started to fall asleep, Claire was also tired and decided to go back
home. So I saw Claire to her car and kissed her goodnight. She said she
would text me when she got home.
I got a text at 11.30pm to
thank me for a lovely evening and that she would phone me on Sunday.
On Saturday the 20th
August I arranged to play a game of golf at Newbury golf course.
Just as I arrived at the course my phone rang and it was Lorraine.
She appeared not know what to say to me - she asked our friend and
neighbour June (who was with her) "Shall I tell him?"
Then she told me that
Claire had died in her sleep. I immediately drove to the house with my
mind churning over with the total disbelief of the situation. As
I approached the house I was met by a young policeman who explained that
Claire was in her bed, he took me through to the house and up the stairs
to her bedroom. As I entered the bedroom Claire was laid back on
her bed, her eyes wide open, looking up to the ceiling with her arms and
hands stretched out as if someone was calling her, she looked so at
peace.
The death of Claire was a
happening that gave us no warning or preparation, just devastation and
an indescribable pain that runs through my body each day of my life.
The days following Claire’s
death were simply a matter of self preservation and protecting and
caring for those loved ones around me. At that time there was no
knowledge of why Claire had died she was a perfectly healthy young lady.
We received many cards and letters of sympathy from family, family
friends and people who knew Claire well. One in particular struck me, it
was hand written, from a lady who had taught Claire Fashion and Design
at Bournemouth. In it she said it was a joy to teach Claire as she came
in each day with a big warm smile full of enthusiasm, the joys of
spring. So not only did she endear herself to us - her family - but to
everyone who met her!
Our doctor phoned me a few
days after her death and said to me that her death was probably one of
those things that was unavoidable.
The police who attended the
house following Claire’s death - both young and old - were very caring
and supportive and this was the case right up to the coroner's report.
The coroner's report held on the 16th November 2005 gave the
verdict of Claire’s death as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
A short time after the
coroner's report I spoke with my brother Simon who put me in the picture
regarding a farmer friend who had lost his son of 13 years of age who
had died on the school rugby pitch. He came back to me later to advise
me that his farmer friend had said that I should speak with CRY (Cardiac
Risk in the Young) and in particular Alison Cox, the founder of CRY.
This I did, and found
Alison very understanding and compassionate about my anxiety over
Claire’s death. Alison explained the situation regarding the number of
young people dying of cardiac related deaths and the fact that over past
years this would have been put down to natural causes. However, with the
work that CRY was putting in to the research in to cardiac related
deaths in young people, explanations for the causes of these deaths were
beginning to surface.
Following my conversation
with Alison, arrangements were made for Claire’s heart to be sent to Dr
Mary Sheppard at the Brompton hospital, in order for her to carry out a
further autopsy.
Subsequently, through CRY,
myself and my immediate family were referred to Professor McKenna at the
London Heart Hospital in order for the family to receive cardiac
screening tests and for myself a gene screening test. These tests are
ongoing to prevent the possibility of another young member of our family
dying of cardiac failure.
Without the involvement
and support of CRY my family and I would have been in total limbo
regarding Claire’s death. CRY is trying to bring about total awareness
of the possible cardiac risks to young people.
Over the last 3 years since
Claire’s death I have experienced many things. The important one is that
there is nothing more important than life and love itself.
In 2006 I supported my son
Mark with the 'Team Buzz Tour de France' - a charity cycle ride to
raise money for the Claire Dee Shapland Memorial Fund, set up within
CRY. Mark, Keith, Nick and Jonny (Team Buzz) cycled 900 miles from
Cherbourg to Montpellier raising £6,000. I met them over in La Rochelle
which was a great experience. Mark recorded each day of the journey with
pictures and text, which he put on
www.teambuzztourdefrance.blogspot.com
One day as Mark was cycling
past a field of sunflowers they all decided to get off their
bikes, take their cloths off and run through the sunflowers. Mark got
the lads to put their caps on top of the sunflowers and photographed
them. In my office today not only do I have a large picture of Ray
Charles to remind me of Claire, but a 28” x 20” colour picture of 3
large sun flowers with caps and sunglasses on their heads, which brings
a warm smile to my face each day I walk in to the office.
