A Deeside campaigner is backing calls for the World Health Organisation to officially recognise the condition which killer her daughter.

Labour MEPs took the case for Sudden Death Syndrome to be classified into a specific category to the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Connah’s Quay grandmother Doreen Harley, has pledged her support to campaigners who say identifying and naming the condition – which kills up to eight people a week in the UK would aid formal study and analysis of its causes.

European politicians Linda McAvan and Catherine Stihler, who are spearheading the campaign in Brussels along with Alison Cox who founded CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), want to see an International Disease Code created for the condition.  It is similar to Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) or cot deaths, which have fallen by 70% since deaths were officially recognised more than 10 years ago.

Doreen is divisional representative for CRY.  She helps families come to terms with their loss while ensuring close relatives go for screening.

Doreen is convinced the campaign could help cut the number of cases.

Her daughter Lisa, a nurse at the Countess of Chester, was 27 when she died from Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young.

Since her death Doreen has devoted herself to raising thousands of pounds to fund screening sessions to save other young lives.

“The condition is currently recognised under a number of terms, such as Sudden Adult Death, Cardiac Death in the Young and Sudden Death Syndrome” she said.

“But recognising the condition under the collective term of Sudden Death Syndrome will obviously make the figures higher.  This would then encourage more research to be done, while raising more awareness that screening can prevent some of these devastating deaths.

“We don’t want to alarm people but alter them that screening can save lives.  Al the conditions are treatable, which means sufferers can lead a relatively normal life.”

Young people aged 14-35 are being urged to sign up for a free heart check at the Beaufort Park Hotel in New Brighton on November 8.

It will be the second time such an event has taken place in the country, and Doreen says appointments are going fast.

“Screening will involve an echocardiogram and a consultation with a cardiologist” she said.  “It is being funded by H J Heinz Charitable Trust in memory of my daughter Lisa.”

Early detection has already saved the lives of Doreen’s husband Terry, her other daughter Rachel and grandson Jack, six – who were all diagnosed as having the same condition as Lisa.