SOUTHSIDE PEOPLE
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Families remember loss of loved ones
A MOVING REMEMBRANCE SERVICE WAS HELD ON THE Southside recently for all those affected by the loss of a loved one to sudden cardiac death (SCD) syndrome.
By Martin Flanagan
The annual service in the Church of Ireland on Monkstown Road was attended by dozens of families from across the country who had lost someone to the condition.
“It was a beautiful moment for all the families affected,” said Monica Martin from Rialto, who set up the Sudden Cardiac Death support group in 2005 after the death of her 16 year old son, Conor.
“People came from as far away as Tipperary and Kerry to attend the service,” she revealed.
“There were many young people there too as this condition affects so many in their youth. In fact, the girls who sang some of the songs at the service had lost two of their own friends.
“The service is held every year in the run up to Christmas,” she added. “Most families are not aware that SCD exists. It is an underlying condition that some people may have but are not aware that they have it.
We recognise that death in general is always very difficult for families, which is why this is held near Christmas, in order to bring people together as a means of support.”
The condition is likely to claim the lives of people under the age of 35.
Monica said that while the condition is often associated with the deaths of young people on the sports field it is not confined to athletes.
She said it could occur in apparently healthy people who did not otherwise appear to have any symptoms of heart disease.
However, she pointed out that most of the symptoms associated with the condition can be treated.
The most common side effects are dizziness, fainting and blackouts from an unknown cause.
It is also associated with a racing heartbeat while resting which some people may mistake as a panic attack.
One Southside mum whose son died from SCD attended the service that was also held to highlight the seriousness of the genetic heart condition.
Orlaith Shearer, from Mount Merrion, lost her son Marcus (22) to SCD two years ago.
“Marcus was visiting Thailand for the second time in August 2009 because he loved it so much,” she explained. “I’d spoken to him a number of times and he seemed perfectly fine.
“He told me he was going to take it easy because he wanted to save himself for Thailand’s Full Moon Party. His friends returned to his room later on and saw him in the bed with a sheet over him. First they thought he was sleeping, but when they called him he didn’t respond. We later found out he died from SCD.”
Orlaith said Marcus had a larger than life character and that he was always happy.
“He lived life to the full,” she said. “He had just finished his degree in Trinity College and he was due to carve out his career. It is important to mention that Marcus wasn’t too involved in sport. A lot of people associate SCD with sport but this was not the case with Marcus.
“It can affect anybody, even people who are not sporty. People need to be aware of this”.