Public awareness of a rare heart condition that claimed the life of a young Wearside man is being raised by the efforts of his mother. 

Ann Wilson, 51, has raised thousands of pounds for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which wants the Government to introduce a heart screening programme for children and teenagers. 

The fund-raising – and public awareness – was assisted recently by Usworth Colliery Primary School, when sent letters to parents about is effort to help CRY.  Ann has two grandchildren at Usworth Colliery – Jamie, eight, and Bethany, five.  Ann said she decided to go into school and train as a teaching assistant after son Jimmy’s death. 

Last term, the children learned resuscitation techniques from teachers Kerrie Hood and Carolyn Nicol.  Pictures have been put up on the wall of Jimmy and other young victims of cardiac problems. 

Ann said: “I was really thrilled with the school.  It wasn’t just the money they raised - about £220 – but the fact that letters went out and all the families were made aware of it. 

“I got an e-mail last week from a woman whose son died of the same thing four years ago.  I’m keeping in touch with her.  She’s raising money for Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS)." 

Jimmy, who was just 24 and was known as a gentle giant, died at the family home in Helmdon, Sulgrave, Washington, on January 2 last year, despite his family’s desperate attempts to revive him. 

Since his death, family and friends and neighbours have raised £3,000 for CRY and £1,600 to buy a 24-hour blood pressure monitor for Jimmy’s doctor’s surgery at the Victoria Road Health Centre. 

Jimmy, a 6ft 6in computer buff, in his first year of a degree course at Northumbria University, was a keen cyclist who rode up to 50 miles a day and spent his spare time at the gym. 

Ann said: “It has been a terrible loss.  Part of me died that morning when I went to wake him and found him dead and the heartbreaking sight of his dad trying to resuscitate him.” 

About 50 people will be taking part in a fund-raising sponsored walk from Roker to South Shields on Sunday, August 21.