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'Find cure for heart fault which killed our Beckie'
Mark Blunden2 Apr 2009
THE family of a teenage beautician killed by a rare type of heart attack today called for more government funding to research the condition.
Rebekah Borg, 18, from Camden, died seven weeks ago today from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.
It kills around 500 seemingly fit and healthy young people every year who are unaware they are living with the hereditary genetic condition.
Ms Borg's mother, Toni Scoullar, told today how she returned home to find her daughter dead in bed.
Ms Scoullar said: "She was the kind of girl who would do anything for anybody to make them feel happy. She's left such a big void in our lives.
"It's devastating to have this wonderful person taken away. This is all I can do - raise awareness, raise money, hopefully find a cure, and then other parents don't have to feel this pain."
The syndrome causes heart attacks in people with no structural heart defects but an irregular beat stops their hearts pumping. It typically affects young people when they are exercising, sleeping or under emotional strain.
The trainee beautician, known as Beckie, was a teetotaller, did not smoke and avoided nightclubs. Government funding into arrhythmia is much lower than that for coronary heart defects, and accounts for two per cent, less than £1million, of the British Heart Foundation's research budget of up to £80million.
Three young people die each week from a heart condition of which they were unaware. Dr Pier Lambiase, from University College London Hospital, said: "It's equivalent to a jumbo-jet load of young people who are otherwise fit and healthy that crashes each year."
Dr Lambiase called for a national programme to evaluate Sudden Death. He said research was needed to determine whether testing young athletes could be beneficial. Anne Jolly, founder of charity SADS UK, warned "until people realise how often this is happening" research and funding may not reflect the urgency. She also called for children as young as 11 to be assessed.
Ms Borg had some symptoms of the condition, such as dizziness and stomach aches, but because she knew nothing about Sudden Death she was never checked. Her family must now have tests to see if they are at risk.
Her brother Bradley, 22, said: "If we knew, we would have done something that maybe would have stopped this awful thing happening to Beckie."
A continuing campaign by the family has already raised £5,000 for SADS UK to research the condition.
Reader views (2)
i knew beckie my sister natasha was in the camden journal for it. and i just want to say R.I.P REBEKAH BORG xxxxxxx
- Louise, camden / England, 20/05/2009 13:38
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Very sad news indeed, there are lots of causes of sudden arrhythmic death. I have wolf parkinson white syndrome but there are a lots more it is important you inform people what type of heart fault they have because it causes a lot of worry, not all people die of sudden death with arrhythmias. It is very rare in the population any one who haze palpitations should always go to there gp. An ecg test cost buttons and always picks up of these arrhythmias.
- James Fennessey, glasgow, 20/05/2009 12:38
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