Teenager who died of sudden heart failure features in charity campaign

Teenager who died of sudden heart failure features in charity campaign

A teenager who died from heart failure is featured in a powerful video series revealing the reality of sudden cardiac arrest.

Family photos of Jamie Skinner, from Edinburgh, have been used in a video produced by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) focusing on how the 13-year-old dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

He died three days before Christmas in 2013 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest while playing a match for Tynecastle Hearts Football Club.

His family were later told the teenager had an enlarged heart which may have contributed to his cardiac arrest.

His death was put down to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome but there was no known cause.

His sister Sonia said: “We were so shocked. I think if there had been a reason for why it happened it might have made things a little easier.

“In the weeks after losing Jamie I don’t think any of us really slept. We were so emotional. Just watching my family crumble was horrendous and Christmas was incredibly difficult.

“I think if Jamie had lived, I’d be watching him on TV now playing professional football.

“My brother was going somewhere in life, he would have made it. He was the boy with the golden smile who could light up any room.

“Jamie loved basketball as well as football. He’d been scouted at 13. He was 6ft 1in and already had a six-pack and he was also being scouted by two or three football scouts.

“From a young age Jamie would say ‘I’m going to be famous, I’m going to be on television one day’ and we never doubted that he was on that path through sport.”

His family set up the Jamie Skinner Foundation to provide defibrillators in communities and educate the public on how to use the devices as a legacy for the talented youngster.

Jamie Skinner died aged just 13 (family handout/BHF/PA)

They have since raised thousands of pounds, paid for more than 100 defibrillators and trained scores of people in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The family hope sharing Jamie’s story through the BHF’s video series, which will go live on social media from Sunday, will also help prepare more people to be ready to deal with sudden cardiac arrest.

The launch comes after the BHF unveiled a mural in Leith in Jamie’s memory ahead of Euro 2024.

His mural was among 12 unveiled across the country, with each painting commemorating a talented young footballer or fan who died too soon.

His sister added “The whole family just loved Jamie’s mural and we had such a great reaction from friends and the general public who saw his image.

“We were all so proud to see him up there and so many people have said how great it is that more than 10 years later, Jamie’s story is still raising awareness.

Jamie was a promising young footballer (family handout/BHF/PA)

“It’s emotional to think that was my brother, but at the same time the video is making people more aware that heart conditions can strike at any age.”

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is devastating that Jamie’s hopes and dreams were cruelly snatched away from him.

“Our thoughts are with Jamie’s family, and we want to thank them for working with us to help create this powerful series which shows the true reality of sudden cardiac death.

“Each week, 12 young people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK. These are the lives of children, siblings and parents ended in an instant, leaving their loved ones distraught.

“We can help put an end to this tragic reality by funding more lifesaving research – but we can only do this with the help of our supporters.

“By donating to the BHF, we can protect precious hearts and create a future where young people dying from sudden cardiac death is a distant memory.”