A mother whose son died suddenly last year is trying to make something positive out of the tragedy and held a sponsored walk in his memory this week. 

Maggie Whitlock, of Averley Road, Upminster, organised the walk on Wednesday in memory of her son Gary Martin, 32, who died on April 21, 2010. 

Gary, of Upminster, was a married father of two young boys, and died of a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. 

Mrs Whitlock, 56, said:  "He got home about 8.30pm and he was in the kitchen talking to his wife about what he waned on his burger and the next minute he was dead on the floor." 

Gary left behind a widow, Sarah, now 30, and children Lewis, now eight, and James, now five, who go to Upminster School. 

The aim of the walk was to raise money for two charities which helped the family - Cardiac Risk in the Young and the Havering and Brentwood Bereavement Service. 

CRY offers screening to detect heart conditions, and detected an irregular heartbeat in Gary's sister Rachel, 29, which could potentially save her life.   

Of the bereavement service, Mrs Whitlock said: "We've got our Lewis back really, we've got our happy little boy back.  Obviously he still misses his dad, but he's been helped so much."