Mum fights against the disorder that claimed her child

A mother who lost her daughter after she died suddenly is leading a campaign to highlight the dangers of the killer disorder. 

Doreen Harley, originally from Longton, works for CRY, a charity set up to help bereaved families of Sudden Adult Death syndrome (SADs), and raise awareness of the condition. 

She became involved after her eldest daughter, Lisa Jane Browne, aged 27, died suddenly in 1998, and wants to help other people affected by the disorder. 

Lisa, a nurse who attended St Thomas More Roman Catholic High School in Longton, died suddenly.

Since then Doreen and her family have been screened for signs of the disorder and her husband Terry, daughter Rachel and grandson Jack have all been diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome – one of the causes of SADs, and the detection probably saved the life of her surviving daughters. 

Doreen has spoken out after the plight of Margaret Banks, of Fenton, whose daughter and grandson died suddenly, was revealed in The Sentinel earlier this week. 

Doreen, aged 56, said: “Lisa had symptoms, such as light headedness, chest pains and palpitations, but her condition wasn’t detected. 

“Since she died the family have all been screened and my husband, daughter and grandchild have all been diagnosed with Long QT. 

“Rachel had a lucky escape when her grandson Adam woke up screaming one night.  She blacked out but the pacemaker device she was fitted with kicked in and saved her life. 

“We want to stop people going through the devastation and grief we have gone through.” 

Doreen and her family lived in Longton before moving to Connah’s Quay, North Wales in 1996. 

Doreen added: “We need to raise awareness because at least eight people a week in the UK die of this condition.  If we save the life of just one person we will be happy.”

The charity is calling for everybody in their early teens to be screened for heart defects in order to save the lives of the dozens of people who die each year from SADs.