A Brentwood mother is campaigning for heart checks on all teenagers, after the sudden death of her son.

Ashley Jolly, a 16-year-old pupil at St Martin's School in Hutton, died last May in his bed. The official cause of death was an asthma attack, although Ashley had never had an attack before then.

However, his mother, Anne, after considerable research, is convinced he is a victim of Adult Cot Death or Sudden Adult Death.

Her campaign partly takes on a financial form. She has set up The Ashley Jolly Memorial Fund to raise money to buy an echocardiogram, which she wants to see housed in Brentwood, to test children of secondary school age for heart problems.

Her other son Philip and husband John are planning to ride in the London to Brighton British Heart Foundation Bike Ride this June. Ashley had ridden in this challenging event a couple of times.

They would also like to hear from anyone who would like to run the Brentwood half marathon or fun run for this cause. An electrocardiogram machine costs £6,000.

Mrs Jolly says that Adult Cot Death appears to strike when young people are going through rapid growth stages.

Cardiologists and families who have suffered a tragedy are urging the Government to carry out heart screening.

Mrs Jolly, her husband and son have all been screened now as there may be a genetic connection.

Mrs Jolly said: "It is killing at least 200 people a year. It is a silent killer, screened for in other European countries but not in the UK. The government will not carry out screening until it can be proven that eight people a week are dying from it.

"This is very difficult because in some cases it is due to abnormalitiy in the heartbeat, which obviously cannot be detected in death. At the moment Adult Cot Death is claiming the lives of four people a week."

She added: "When there is an outbreak of meningitis the whole country is horrified. Every parent checks their child for spots and any symptoms. Everyone knows the dangers of meningitis.

"How many parents or doctors suggest that a completely fit and healthy child is checked for heart disorder? None I should imagine.

"Yet I believe their children have as much chance of dying from Adult Cot Death or Sudden Adult Death as from meningitis.

"The only difference is that very often there are no symptoms whatsoever; which makes it even more frightening. The people who show symptoms are considered to be lucky ones!"

Mrs Jolly said the victims, who are normally fit and Health young men and women, usually die quietly in their sleep, as her son did. He was extremely fit and healthy beforehand.

Some youngsters are at risk due to a change in the 'electrics' of the heart, others are at risk as the heart muscle becomes enlarged.

They are put further at risk from sudden death if they play sport because of the sudden strain put on the defective muscle.

Anyone who is worried that they may have a problem or would like to give money to the fund can contact Cardiac Risk in the Young on 01372 276187.

Professor William McKenna, Professor of Cardiac Medicine, patron of CRY, said: "I think cardiomyopathies are much more common than they are generally thought to be.

"There has been almost nothing to raise awareness, certainly the Ministry of Health has done nothing."

Heart campaign: Anne and John Jolly, whose son Ashley died in his sleep last year, would like to see secondary children tested for possible heart problems.

Mrs Jolly says that Adult Cot Death appears to strike when young people are going through rapid growth stages. Fact File

Four out of 10 children and young people die with their first symptom.

The most common age of death is between eight and 14.

There were 37,500 unexplained sudden cardiac deaths per year in the United States.

Arrhythmia disorders are identifiable and treatable.

There are 11 major causes of unexpected sudden cardiac death in the young.

Research carried out in the USA on cardiomyopathy, the most common heart problem in the young, showed that one in 500 people have this and are vulnerable to sudden death.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.