A Spalding family are making a “CRY” for help after the coroner at their mother’s inquest advised them to be checked for a hereditary disease.
Tracey Darley, of Tavistock Road, died on July 23 aged just 48.
Professor Robert Forrest, South Lincolnshire coroner, advised close family members to see their GPs and seek support from the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) after recording a verdict of “natural causes” at Mrs Darley’s inquest on Friday.
He said: “In situations like this when a young woman dies suddenly through no obvious reason my job is not only to record a verdict on how she died but to also help preserve life by advising family members to be screened.”
According to CRY, every week in the UK, around 12 young people die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.
Eighty per cent of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.
The inquest heard that Mrs Darley had been taken ill ten days before she died while visiting a patient at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.
A known asthmatic, she was admitted suffering shortage of breath and abdominal pains.
When she was discharged she was advised to visit her GP because both her mother and father had heart defects.
Her son, Aaron, confirmed she did this.
He said: “She was still struggling with breathing and could only walk a short distance before her knees gave way.
“I suffer asthma but this was horrible to watch.”
Pathologist Mike Harris said the examination revealed multiple blood clots in her legs and lungs.
He said: “The clot that lead to her death would not have been the first.
“Mrs Darley’s heart was also enlarged, which is not uncommon with a sudden death, and so it is advised close family members are screened.”
Dr Steve Cox, director of screening at CRY, said: “CRY believes screening is so vitally important.
“Although screening will not identify all young people at risk, in Italy they have reduced the incidence of young sudden cardiac death by 90 per cent.”
For more information, visit CRY at www.c-r-y.org.uk