This nurse died when her alarm clock rang. 

The sudden shock of Lisa Jane Browne's 6am alarm call triggered massive heart failure because the 27-year-old who specialised in children's care suffered from an undiagnosed heart abnormality. 

Last year experts discovered she had the rare disorder Long QT syndrome (LQT2).  The condition affects the electrical system of the heart which can cause sudden unexplained death in young people. 

Her mother Doreen Harley, 58, of Connah's Quay, Flintshire, always suspected her daughter died of the hereditary disorder and campaigned for the inquest into her 1998 death to be reopened and the open verdict on her cause of death changed.  At the original inquest in 1998, the coroner recorded an open verdict after finding the cause of death was unascertainable. 

But yesterday a second inquest was held in Warrington, where the coroner for Cheshire, Nicholas Rheinberg, ruled that Lisa, a paediatric nurse, died from heart failure due to LQT2.  He recorded a verdict of death by natural causes. 

After the inquest, Mrs Harley said she hoped her eight-year battle to discover the real cause of her daughter's death would help save the lives of others. 

Following Lisa's death, it was discovered that her father Terry, 61, her sister Rachel, 33, and her nephews Jack, 9, and Adam, 6, all had the illness.  they have all received treatment and are living normal lives. 

Mrs Harley called on the Government to provide screening for young people to diagnose heart problems.

She said: "Long QT Syndrome has affected five members of our family over three generations.  An ECG test could well have saved Lisa's life. 

"All of the causes of sudden, young cardiac death, many of which are genetic, are treatable once diagnosed and most people are able to live a relatively normal life. 

"There are at least eight deaths a week to sudden, young cardiac death, the majority of which could be prevented if there was a national screening programme for all teenagers around the age of 14. 

"How many more young people have to lose their lives to sudden young cardiac death before the Government will agree to finance the necessary ECG screening?" 

Mrs Browne, who worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, suffered extreme exhaustion in the last three years of her life.  She complained on several occasions to her GP, who prescribed her a low dose of an anti depressant which she took for a few months from October 1996.  The inquest heard the anti depressant should not be taken by anyone suffering from Long QT syndrome. 

Mrs Browne's husband Stuart, 38, from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, told the inquest he found his wife dead in bed at 7am on January 10 1998 after she failed to wake up for work.  His wife had set her alarm clock for 6am but it was not ringing when he woke up. 

Cardiac expert Dr Elijah Behr, from St George's Hospital, London, said:" Lisa Browne died suddenly in bed, probably after her alarm went off, waling her suddenly." 

The coroner said he believed it was very important to re-open Mrs Browne's inquest in light of the new evidence. 

Mr Rheinberg said: "The importance of these particular findings and facts, I don't think can be over-estimated. 

"Lisa suffered a sudden death at a very young age and I think it very likely had her condition been diagnosed, she would be alive today. 

"Had it not been for the dedication of her family in finding out the cause in relation to Lisa's death, then clearly Rachel and her children and Mr Harley would be very much at risk.  It is a condition which, if undiagnosed, can lead to unexplained death.  If diagnosed, it can be treated and death avoided." 

Mrs Harley will continue to campaign alongside the organisation Cardiac Risk in the Young. 

She said: "Eight years has been an exceptionally long time for our family, but the inquest has given us the answers we so desperately needed.  We will now finally be able to bring about closure following Lisa's tragic death."