Laura will live on thanks to fundraisers

THE MEMORY of a young Woodbridge girl who died suddenly of a heart defect, will live on with the raising of £12,000 for charity.

Thirteen-year-old Laura Fox, was very athletic and loved sports, and had seemed fit and well.

Tragically, a heart defect was hidden in her chest and was never detected.

The former Farlingaye High School pupil's dad Pc Robi Fox, an air observer with the police helicopter team, said: "Up until the time of her death we had no idea that she had any problems whatsoever with her heart."

He and wife Kate were devastated by the loss of their daughter in August 1998, and have been associated with the charity 'Cardiac Risk in the Young' (CRY) ever since.

Now Pc Fox, his family, friends and colleagues have raised £12,000 for CRY in a bid to save other young lives.

Some of the cash has been used to buy an ECG heart testing machine, which will be donated to Framfield House Doctors' Surgery in Woodbridge, on Wednesday.

It is unusual for a GP practice to have such a machine, as patients with suspected heart problems are traditionally sent to Ipswich Hospital for tests.

The machine will be used on a daily basis, and will also be used by CRY during future screening weekends, which are planned for this year.

Pc Fox added: "Cardiac abnormalities do not only affect overweight, middle-aged people. Between four and eight young people lose their lives each week, due to undetected heart conditions, many of which could have been treated if discovered in time."

CRY aims to raise awareness of the importance and relevance of offering heart screening to young people, and emphasise how much can be done if a problem is detected.

It also supports medical research, offers counselling to families who lose a young relative, and is developing a sports cardiology service available to all sports people.