When her son Nick died, Jenny Thomas says that she lost not only her child, but part of her own future.

"I'll never get to see his children and I'll never know what a success he would have made of his life," she said. 

Nick, a talented rapper and lyricist, died at the wheel of a car in January 2005. 

It is thought the cause was Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. 

"I can't describe the shock I felt," said Jenny, 54, of Plympton. 

"Nobody should have to bury their children.  That's just not how it's supposed to be. 

"As time's gone on, it's made me think: how many young people has it happened to and it's just been put down to a car accident?"

Jenny said in the weeks before his death Nick, 25, had been experiencing chest pains, but his GP had said it was probably indigestion, because the symptoms were so familiar. 

Like other families, Jenny wants to help raise awareness of SADS. 

She and her daughter are still undergoing tests to find out if they have any, as yet, undetected heart conditions. 

"I keep going over the fact that round eight young people a week die from SADS," Jenny said. 

"Even now, I still can't get my head around that statistic, and the fact I knew so little about it." 

Information on SADS from the British Heart Foundation website:

What is it?

Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome occurs when an apparently healthy person dies suddenly from a cardiac arrest (the heart stops) and no heart abnormalities are found to explain it. 

It used to be known as Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

Why does it happen?

Little is known about the causes of the syndrome.  However, some researchers believe that it may be due to an abnormal heart rhythm.

Is possible to identify who is at risk?

If someone in your family dies of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, it is important to check your family's medical history.  Family members may need to have tests to rule out an abnormal heart rhythm.

Tests included electrocardiograms (ECGs), and exercise ECGs to record the rate, rhythm and electrical activity of the heart.

For more information visit www.bhf.org.uk, www.c-r-y.org.uk or www.sadsuk.org.