Memorial fund for Kettering's Miriam helps more than 100 youngsters have hearts screened

A memorial fund set up after the sudden death of a Kettering girl has helped more than 100 youngsters have their hearts screened.

Miriam Lee died after an unexplained cardiac arrest aged just 17 in August 2016, the day after she received her AS-Level results.

Her mum Nicola started raising money for charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), before setting up the Miriam Lee Memorial Fund to help provide electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings for young people between the ages of 14 and 35.

And last month the fund was able to put on its first heart screening day – checking a total of 121 people for potential heart issues at an event at Hall Meadow Primary School.

Nicola said: "We don’t want anyone to go through what we did when Miriam died because it was heart-breaking.

"A simple test can give young people the opportunity for peace of mind that, as far as they know, they are OK, or if it does detect a problem it can be dealt with.”

After leaving Bishop Stopford School Miriam, a member of the Air Cadets, moved to Brooke Weston Academy in Corby to study her A-Levels. She had hoped to go on to study French and linguistics at the University of Kent.

CRY estimates that every week, at least 12 people aged between 14 and 35 suffer sudden cardiac death in the UK.

After her death – having previously told her parents Nicola and David she believed in organ donation – her liver, kidneys and pancreas were used to save or enhance the lives of four people.

Her parents were able to meet a young boy who was given the gift of life through a liver transplant shortly after Miriam's death.

Fundraising events including tombolas and a fashion show were held to raise the £6,500 each screening day costs to hold in her memory.

As a result of the first screening day, which analyses heart rhythms to identify potential conditions, six people were contacted for a referral to a GP.

Nicola said: “Hopefully further tests will find nothing wrong, but potentially that’s six people who may have a serious condition and that test could save their life.”

On the day refreshments were served and, although the testing was free to those who were tested, many wanted to make donations. As a result £600 was raised.

Fundraising is continuing for another screening day and, thanks to events which have been held and match funding from Nicola’s employers Morrisons, almost £4,000 has already been raised.

The next fundraiser is a quiz night on April 16 at The Stitching Pony pub, starting at 7.30pm. Nicola will also have a stall at the Kettering charity market and Thrapston Charter Fair events in June, as well as holding more tombolas.

She said: "We have had so much support from the community and we can’t thank people enough.”

- Anyone who would like to hold an event to raise money for Miriam’s fund, is interested in sponsorship and wants to find out more or would like Nicola to give a talk can email Nicola at [email protected]. To donate, visit https://www.c-r-y.org.uk/miriam-lee/.