A mother whose swimming star daughter tragically died at a gala has joined
forces with an MP to help increase awareness of potential heart problems
in the young.
Thirteen-year-old Olympic hopeful Laura
Moss, who was a pupil at Weymouth’s Wey Valley School, collapsed as she
warmed up for an event at Weymouth Swimming Pool in July 1998. She died
later in hospital.
An inquest recorded an open verdict because
tests had been unable to pinpoint the cause of death, although a heartbeat
disturbance could have been to blame.
Now Laura’s mother Gloria has forged a
partnership with West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin to campaign to make the
medical profession more aware of potential heart problems in the young.
Laura was a member of Thornlow Tornadoes
and Dorset’s youngest swimmer to gain English national team selection.
Mrs Moss said: “I wrote to Oliver to
get his support to come to a reception for Cardiac Risk in the Young
(CRY), a group which raises awareness of the potential for heart
conditions in the young.
“He couldn’t come, but agreed to
support us and said he would be very happy to meet us, which he has now
done. He was extremely supportive of what we are trying to achieve.”
Mr Letwin said they talked about the
screening of young people who look fit, but who may turn out to have
lethal heart conditions.
He added: “We need to make the medical
profession much more generally aware of potential heart problems in the
young.
“It is clearly a worthwhile cause.
There is almost nothing worse that can happen to you than to have one of
your children drop dead suddenly without warning.”
Mrs Moss was accompanied at the meeting by
CRY founder and chief executive Alison Cox.
She said: “We have had an offer from
Minister of Health Melanie Johnson that an expert committee with be set up
– including CRY – to introduce sudden cardiac death as a new section in
guidance on heart areas for the National Health Service so that there will
be recognition for the problem in young people.
“It is fantastic to get support from
Oliver Letwin.
“It is only successful lobbying such
as this which has helped us raise awareness of the problem in government
at such a high level.”
Mrs Moss has just finished training as a
bereavement supporter with CRY.
She said: “I am now working with that
and with the campaign.”
