A talented hockey player who did not know he had a heart defect slumped on to his girlfriend and died.
Luke Meekings collapsed after becoming unwell as he drove along Poulter’s Lane in Worthing on June 24.
Tests after his death revealed his heart was almost three times the normal size and badly damaged because of an undetected condition.
Now his brother is having to come to terms with the fact he too has the life-threatening defect.
An inquest at Worthing was told Mr Meekings was driving with his girlfriend when he felt ill.
He pulled over and slumped on to his girlfriend.
An ambulance took him to Worthing Hospital but the 24-year-old was pronounced dead at 8.56pm.
Mr Meekings was a very active person who loved sport, went to the gym at least five times a week, ate well and rarely drank alcohol, the court heard.
In the weeks leading up to his death, Mr Meekings, of Duncton Road, Rustington, had become breathless and tired but his parents put it down to him working long hours as a steel erector and renovating his new house.
Mr Meekings played hockey at county level but had not been as active in the past year after he broke a bone in his hand. He also underwent a hernia operation that kept him off work for ten months.
He had also started to take steroids.
Mr Meekings’ mother Sue Meekings said her son was very body and image conscious and had been trying to get back to full fitness but added that the family were unaware he had taken steroids until after his death.
West Sussex Coroner Penny Bailey recorded a verdict of natural causes. The cause of death was sudden adult death syndrome.
Since his death Mr Meekings’ family has been tested for the same defect.
While his younger brother Thomas, 21, and accounting and finance university student, is fine, his elder brother Same, who lives in Beijing and works as an editor for Oxford University Press, has had the same condition diagnosed.
Mr Meekings’ parents Sue and Roger, of Slindon Common, Arundel, have been in touch with Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which raises awareness of sudden death syndrome in young people, encouraging them to get tested so they can manage their condition.
Mrs Meekings said: “CRY has been really helpful to us with getting the family screened.
“Luke played hockey for Chichester and then Middleton and Bognor. He was a vey good hockey player and there were some lovely tributes.
“He loved being outside and we held a humanist funeral for him in our back garden where more than 200 people turned up.”
