Friends of a Harrow Weald man who died suddenly during a football match are organising a skydive to help fund research into the heart condition that claimed his life.
Martyn Simpson, of Brookshill, was 24 when he collapsed while playing for his local team, Parkfield, in August. Although he had no history of heart trouble, he was the victim of an abnormality which leads to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) in young people.
Now, 24 of his friends and family are planning tandem parachute jumps in his memory in Oxford on July 15, which would have been his 25th birthday.
The event is in aid of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Martyn’s girlfriend Cheryl Smith said: “Martyn was a generous, caring and very loving person. He had time for everyone.
“He died doing what he loved best and felt so passionate about, playing football.
“Martyn was the type of guy who lived for the moment and enjoyed life to the full. There was never a dull moment when he was around.
“I love and miss him every day and I feel I had to do something to raise awareness of this condition.
“If all this effort saves one family from what we went through it will all have been worthwhile.”
A former pupil of Hatch End High School, and known to many by his nickname “Stimpy”, Martyn worked in a bank and was a regular at the Wealdstone Inn in Harrow Weald. His friends are organising a disco at the pub and auctioning signed goods from Arsenal, which Martyn supported.
His friend Laura Jones added: “It was a massive shock for all of us when Martyn died. He was the sort of person whom everybody liked.”
The jumpers hope to raise £300 each; to make a donation, see www.justgiving.com/stimpy
