Son's death spurs family campaign

7:00am Monday 16th October 2006

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A FAMILY from Holmer Green who have been fundraising since their son died suddenly from a heart condition are well on their way to reaching their £2,000 target to buy equipment for a doctors surgery.

Barbara and Brian Marsden are raising money to buy a heart monitor after their son, Paul, collapsed and died because of an unexpected cardiac arrest in January.

“Initially we didn’t know what to do with ourselves. "

Barbara Marsden

It was only after the post mortem that they discovered his death was caused by Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), which causes a person to have a heart attack due to an abnormality in the heart rhythm.

Barbara, Brian and their two other sons Barrie and Robert, have been raising money through a memorial fund in Paul's name to buy the monitor for the Highfield Surgery in Hazlemere. This monitor will help to diagnose heart conditions and let patients be treated appropriately.

Paul, 36, was working as a police officer in Bermuda when he collapsed after quitting his job of seven years with Thames Valley Police.

So far through the family's efforts and a collection box at the surgery, £700 has been raised since May.

Barbara, 62, said: "Initially we didn't know what to do with ourselves.

"The police obviously came round and you're informed and from there you're in shock and then you sort of get yourself together a bit and it's just, what can we do to stop this happening for other people?

"It does help that you're actually doing something towards helping others."

More fundraising is in the pipe-line through boot fairs, bike rides and the Three Peaks Challenge. And more recently the family have supported Arrhythmia Awareness Week by distributing leaflets and writing to their local MP.

Last year the Government brought out new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias and Barbara wrote to Cheryl Gillian, MP for Chesham and Amersham, to ask how the guidelines were being put into practice by the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Barbara said: "The main thing is raising awareness. People might have symptoms - get it checked out, think of your heart. As far as I'm aware Paul couldn't be saved. I one day hope that we'll get to the bottom of this with research."

The family are hoping to hand over the monitor next year to mark the anniversary of Paul's death.

Barbara added: "We have set our goal for January. If we haven't got enough we'll make up what we haven't got - we will do it."