A teenager
who died and miraculously came back to life is now bravely battling to highlight
the cause of his near-death experience.
Bradley
Farrow, 15, of Sheerwater, a pupil at Bishop David Brown School, suffers from
Brugada Syndrome which causes his heart to race and move into cardiac arrest
He is now
desperate for funds to raise awareness about the syndrome and has become
involved with the charity CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Speaking of
her son's plight, his mother Eddie said: "It was last
October when Bradley collapsed and his heart went into cardiac arrest. But the impact of hitting the floor was enough to trigger the heart to
re-start. If he hadn't been standing up he wouldn't be here today"
Bradley was
rushed to St Peter's Hospital where doctors found he had a low pulse rate. He was admitted and kept in for observation, where an ECG picked up an abnormal
wave in his heart and he was sent to Royal Brompton Hospital.
It was there
that he was tested for Brugada but didn't react. However a consultant was
concerned that he was suffering from the syndrome and after a second
investigation he tested positive.
Since being
diagnosed with the condition, Bradley has had a defibrillator inserted to prevent his heart going into cardiac arrest and a
pacemaker to try and keep his heart rate at normal levels. If
the device detects an irregular beating pattern or his heart stops, the device
sends electrical impulses into his heart to restore normal rhythm.
The student, who lists antiques and archaeology
as his interests and wants to be a youth worker when he leaves school, is keen
to raise money for further research and enable children to be tested for Brugada
Syndrome and other hidden heart conditions which if undetected can cause sudden
death.
Mrs Farrow said: "The whole family have been
very god through the whole situation. We are very proud of him as he's
taken this on to raise money and awareness. for a 15-year-old boy its
quite an accomplishment."
