Getting your heart checked could save your life
CAMPAIGNING DAD’S MESSAGE
DAMIEN Jewell had been married for more than year and was enjoying life as an estate agent.
But on April 18, 2001, the 28-year-old went to sleep and never woke up.
Damien’s sudden passing from heart condition acute myocarditis devastated his family and wife Sarah.
Now, more than a decade on from losing his only son, dad David has opened up for the first time on the heartbreak of losing his son and his efforts to ensure no other family suffers a similar tragedy.
Ashington-born Damien maintained a close relationship with his dad even after his parents divorce meant he spent most of his life living with mum Anne in Colchester.
David, from Monkseaton, Whitley Bay, last heard from his son the night before his death, and was working down in Suffolk when he was told the news every parent dreads.
He said: “Damien had been married for just over a year, and was a manager at the estate agent. He was doing very well, and was a bright, cheerful young lad.
“I stopped at Reading service station on my way to Swindon when I’d seen I’d had a call from the vicar in Colchester. I sensed something was wrong so I phoned back and he broke the news.
“I’m not sure what I felt at the time, I was completely numb.
“Effectively it was a massive heart attack. He went to bed one night and didn’t wake up.
“There was nothing we could have done.”
Damien’s heartbroken family had to wait weeks to find out the cause of his death from the postmortem report.
The 28-year-old, who had previously shown no sign of ill health, passed away from acute mycarditis, an inflammation of a heart muscle for which there is no preventative medical treatment available.
David, 69, said: “The three weeks waiting for the post-mortem results were pretty horrendous.”
In the months and years that followed, David admits he buried himself in work in an attempt to avoid facing up to his son’s death.
But following his retirement two years ago, he decided to channel the pain of his experience to help others with charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
CRY promotes and offers heartscreening programmes and funds medical research, as well as offering bereavement services to families affected by young sudden cardiac death.
In his role as the charity’s regional representative, David helped organise the first-ever North Tyneside Seaside Walk on Saturday.
Approximately 50 people, including 11-year-old former Pride of the North
East Young Fundraiser of the Year Harry Steel, walked the sevenmile course raising £1,500 in the process.
David hopes to establish the Seaside Walk as an annual event, and hopes sharing his story and working with CRY can help save lives.
He said: “It’s not a natural thing to do to get an ECG (electrocardiogram) check – you might not even want to know. But rather than take a chance, try and make sure the clean bill of health we all assume we have is true.
“If we get just one person to have a check, that’s our objective achieved.”
Dr Steven Cox, chief executive of CRY, said: “We’re so grateful for everyone who turned out in support of Harry Steel. This inspiring event clearly captured the imagination of his friends and family and other members of the local community. We’re also delighted that one of CRY’s most recently recruited regional representatives, David Jewell, was also there to support Harry in his efforts”