Man's sudden death was spark for campaign

A fund-raising dinner in memory of a young man struck down by a rare heart disease yielded spectacular results. 

Levon Morland, 22, of West Rainton, died suddenly two years ago. 

This month his dad Jeff (left) decided to go on a fund-raising mission for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). 

His intention was to get more research carried out into heart conditions such as Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome, which claimed his son’s life. 

Now his fund-raising efforts have been boosted by almost £21,000, thanks to a special dinner held by a Newcastle law firm. 

Philip Browell, a senior partner at Browell, Smith and Co., has been a constant supporter of CRY and of Mr Morland’s fund-raising. 

His firm decided to organise a special grand charity dinner at St James’s Park last year, and the event raised £20,973 for the charity. 

Mr Morland is Northern Labour Party chairman and has had help from former Sunderland councillor and now Stockton South MP Dari Taylor to get the National Health Service to improve screening for heart conditions in young people. 

She tabled a motion in Parliament to improve screening, and Health Minister Melanie Johnson has announced plans to set up an advisory group to help tackle sudden heart deaths in the young and improve services for people with irregular heartbeats and similar conditions. 

Find out more about Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome