The mother of a young Waterside man who died of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) in 2003, has urged members of the public to avail of a new life-saving cardiac screening service.

Maura Hegarty from Curryneirin, lost her 19-year-old son Brendan to an undiagnosed heart condition in 2003. 

In her determination that others should try to avoid the heartbreak her family experienced as a result of the former Oakgrove College prefect's death, Mrs Hegarty is encouraging people to attend the first ever series of heart screenings by charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) in Londonderry in February. 

The screenings will be conducted at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster on Saturday, February 24. 

CRY estimates that 12 young people die each week across the UK and Northern Ireland from undiagnosed cardiac conditions.  The CRY clinic provides a simple heart screen that lasts no more than a few minutes and costs only £35. 

Yet it can potentially save the life of anyone who has an undiagnosed heart condition. 

Speaking to the Sentinel Mrs Hegarty described the terrible impact of Brendan's death and how it inspired her to get involved with the CRY organisation. 

Recalling the bubbly teenage son whose life was so tragically cut short, Mrs Hegarty warned against complacency in those who feel this could never happen to them. 

"Brendan was 19 and a half years old and very much into sport," she said.  "He would play football.  He was playing for the local Ardmore team and he would also play indoor football on a Sunday.  Five-a-side.  Very athletic.  Fully fit.  He was never ill a day in his life. 

"He was very healthy, strong and full of life and then one morning his brothers came down through his bedroom to go to the shower and they noticed his colour wasn't so good.  He was just lying there.  No signs of struggle or anything.  He was just lifeless. 

"Absolutely no symptoms whatsoever.  He'd just done his final exams.  He was doing Electrical Engineering and NWIFHE down the Strand Road.  He was waiting for his results and just chilling out during the summer.  All sorts of plans. 

"He had just passed his theory test and was to come down to us on holidays down in Marbel Hill (Co. Donegal). 

"On Tuesday he was due to comet down to us.  He also had a part-time job in Altnagelvin Hospital.  An evening job, you know, for a little pocket money.  An ordinary teenager. 

Whilst some of Brendan's family were on holiday in Donegal at the time his two elder brothers and sister tried as best they could to absorb the devastating blow. 

"We were on holiday at the time.  but two of his elder brothers were there at the time so they tried to do CPR.  They did do CPR and phoned an ambulance. 

"My daughter Marie - at the time she was an officer in the Ambulance Service in Altnagelvin - she was the once who took the call. 

"And well I suppose it is every emergency service person's nightmare that they are going to get a call from their own family. 

"So she had to deal with that and they sent the ambulance to work with him and give them their dues they worked tirelessly for a long time.  They finally had to give up. 

Two years after Brendan's passing Maria began to notice a greater sense of awareness about SADS in the national press.   

She soon became aware of the CRY charity and was eager to get involved in the hope that further lives could be saved. 

"I picked up one of the tabloids in a waiting room somewhere and I read this story about exactly the same happening to someone else, somewhere in England. 

"In the article it gave the address of this organisation CRY and I contacted them.  It was then I started to get information about what had happened and apparently there are at least 8 to 12 teenagers, young people, up to their thirties, who die every week from undiagnosed heart conditions. 

"Apparently it doesn't show up in post-mortems.  Once the heart stops beating they can't identify it.  It can only be identified in a living person. 

"This screening is the only way to detect it.  Going to the doctor's or getting a normal check-up will show nothing at all until they have the electrocardiogram (ECG) done. 

"Sometimes it shows up in that and sometimes it won't.  If some glitch shows up they go further and they do an echocardiogram and that will show exactly what is wrong and it can be treated with medication or sometimes in the worst case scenario with a pacemaker. 

"They can live healthy lives if they get the appropriate treatment.  And that's why, Oh God, if I can do anything at all to induce people to go and get the screening done, I'll try. 

"First of all it was a campaign to get the family tested.  It can be hereditary and there is a definite genetic link.  Brendan was number nine out of ten children. 

"The rest of them are clear, so far as we know anyway, through the tests that they have done so far." 

Manager of the CRY clinic is John Carruthers .  He said: We would encourage as many people as possible to get screened.  Although in the past there have been high profile deaths associated with people active in sport, screening should be considered by everyone. 

"We are delighted that this clinic is visiting Derry and we hope it will be the first of many such visits." 

Mrs Hegarty knows better than anyone how suddenly this unexpected tragedy can strike.  Brendan's final moments she describes as those of any carefree teenager enjoying their summer holidays. 

"His final driving lesson was on Wednesday morning. 

"He'd left his driving licence on the top of the cupboard and a £20 note sitting there ready for starting off his final driving lesson. 

"His friend Chris had walked him up the door and asked him if he was coming up.  You know, it was during the summer and they were having a barbecue up the street but he said: "No I've my driving lesson, the most important one, the last one, in the morning, so I'm going to have an early night." 

"So Chris walked him up to the door.  He then went straight to his bed and that was it.  It happened just like that there."