It claims the lives of 12 apparently healthy young people every week.  Sarah Jones speaks to one couple whose lives have been devastated after losing their 21-year-old son to Sudden Death Syndrome. 

One day she hopes to be able to think of only good things when she remembers her beloved son, Graeme.  But for now, the sheer horror of losing him so suddenly still torments Jan Blenkinsop.

More than two years after his death, the grief is still raw for the bereaved mum and her husband, Paul. 

They know Graeme would have wanted them to live their lives to the full - as he always did - so they have tried their hardest to carry on, returning to work and going on holiday. 

Yet 'coping' is not a word that the Isle of Wight couple feels applies to them.  They have no choice but to get on with their lives.  There is simply nothing else they can do. 

No one expects to outlive their children.  They certainly can never be prepared to lose a sports-mad 21-year-old to a massive heart attack out of the blue. 

It was a desperate banging on their bedroom door at 1am that signalled the start of their nightmare, on August 4, 2006. 

After coming home from his summer job complaining of feeling well, Graeme had gone straight to bed. 

His girlfriend, Klaire, was staying with them, and woke his parents shouting for help when she couldn't get Graeme to wake up. 

"She got up to go to the bathroom and when she got back, we had lost him," says Jan. 

Sitting in the living room of her East Cowes home - which is decorated with a selection of her favourite photos of Graeme - she adds: "It's the most horrific experience I think anybody could go through." 

After dialling 999, Paul frantically tried to revive his son.  

"It's something you never envisage doing, giving any one of your family mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," Paul explains, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Despite his efforts, Graeme had gone - he had died instantly in his sleep. 

When doctors confirmed the worst to them and their daughter, Lynda, their world descended into a blur. 
 

"When they tell you, it's pretty traumatic, but I don't think even then we really believed it.  It was like being in a dream," says Jan.  "It was so sudden and unexpected , we didn't know why he had died." 

A couple of days later, the results of a post-mortem concluded that a huge heart attack had been responsible for his premature death. 

But they still could not understand why.  It didn't make sense.  Graeme had been fit and healthy, a talented sportsman.  He loved playing football with his mates, going skiing with his girlfriend, or playing golf with his dad. 

"We had so many questions but there were no answers," says Jan.  "The autopsy said his arteries had reduced to 50 per cent their original size.  The doctor could give us no explanation as to why that had happened.  They said that could be caused by high levels of cholesterol, but no tests were done.  He had a good diet and was not a couch potato. 

"They didn't say he had a heart defect, just that he had a massive heart attack." 

With no symptoms presenting themselves, Jan and Paul never had any need to take Graeme to the doctors. 

In hindsight, they wish routine screening for young people had been available. 

"We have well woman and well man's check-ups says Jan.  "Why can't we have a young person's check up?  It would be marvellous if they were done as a matter of course.  Maybe if there were, they would find something and prevent it from happening." 

Today the couple treasure two photo albums they have made in memory of their son, who graduated from Bournemouth University shortly before he died. 

His fun-loving nature is reflected in the pages packed full of pictures, letters of tribute, cards, newspaper cuttings and other mementoes. 

Whether he was at a music festival, on holiday in Ayia Napa, celebrating on New Year's Eve or larking round in a sumo wrestling suit, he was always the life and soul of the party. 

After losing Graeme, his parents were staggered to discover that 12 young people die in similar circumstances every week. 

There lives are all claimed by Sudden Death Syndrome, an umbrella term used for the many different causes of unexpected and unexplained cardiac arrest in apparently healthy young people. 

The Blenkinsop's have become involved with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRT), which aims to raise awareness of conditions that can lead to Sudden Death Syndrome. 

Instead of sending flowers, they asked the 400 mourners at Graeme's funeral for donations, which they split between CRY and the breast care unit at St Mary's Hospital in Newport. 

Human Resources manager Jan suffered from breast cancer three years ago. 

"I would rather have had breast cancer a hundred times if Graeme was still here," she says. 

The couple have since set up the Graeme Blenkinsop Memorial Fund to raise funds for CRY. 

A fitting tribute to their son, Graeme's mates turned out in force to two charity football matches organised in his honour. 

In fact, his mum and dad have been deeply touched by the compassion shown by their son's friends, some of whom still call in to see them. 

"You wouldn't believe the compassion of 21-year-old nippers.  It still gets to me today," says Paul, a fitter for the RNLI, choking back the tears. 

"All the bad press about youngsters, it's just a minority. 

To date, the memorial fund has raised £4,300. 

"If helping CRY saves even one life, it's worth in," says Jan. 

To make a donation to the Graeme Blenkinsop Memorial Fund, contact CRY via their website c-r-y.org.uk or call 01737 363222. 

FACT FILE

CRY was founded in 1995 to raise awareness of conditions that can lead to Sudden Death Syndrome.  The charity is committed to encouraging greater access to its cardiac testing for all groups and individuals (but especially those involved in sport at a 'grass-root level) to detect conditions that might otherwise go undiagnosed.