A marathon effort from an Ulverston man has raised cash towards a life-saving machine. 

Sharen Stables, 49, has been trying to raise £12,000 to buy a machine which screens people for sudden cardiac death syndrome. 

Her son, Lee Stables, a fit and active 22-year-old, died suddenly in 2002 from the condition while backpacking in India.

The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young - CRY - will provide the area with a machine when the figure is reached.

Ben Polkinghorn, 24, who was a friend of Lee, raised £2,265 for the campaign when he took part in the London Marathon earlier this year. 

Mrs Stables says the generous donation has pushed her very close to the target. 

She said: "Ben did really well, and raised a lot of money. 

"We have had so many events to help raise money for the monitor, including a 14,000ft parachute jump, swimming with sharks, car boot sales and raffles. 

"We want to thank everybody for their generosity as they have helped to raise such a lot of money. 

"The machine will be able to test people who are aged between 14 and 34 and if we can save just one life, then all our efforts will have paid off."