‘I found my son dead in his bedroom from an undetected heart problem – I want every teenager to be checked’
A mum who found her son dead on the floor of his flat due to a heart condition – despite having no prior symptoms – is pushing for every teen in the country to be screened to prevent further tragedies.
Sam Richards, 57, a television producer, was devastated when son Toby died in 2019. The 22-year-old was healthy and active, having started a fitness programme in preparation for joining the Royal Marines.
Toby’s arrhythmia had gone undetected, and after he died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – which is when someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest but the cause cannot be found – Sam set up TOBE-Heartsafe, a non-profit organisation providing an on-site screening service.
TOBE-Heartsafe also has basic life support training as a core
