A charity fund set up in memory of a teenager who died of a rare heart condition has topped the £20,000 mark.
Kasia Ber was just 17 when she died after her mobile phone alarm triggered an undiagnosed condition that caused her to have a heart attack.
It was later found she died from the rare genetic condition Long QT Syndrome that causes an irregular heart rhythm.
A memorial fund was set up in Kasia’s name on behalf of national charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) following the teenager’s death on December 28, 2005.
Since then, the family of the former pupil of St Bede’s Comprehensive School, in Peterlee, have raised around £20,000 by taking part in various events, the latest being a sponsored walk in Durham City.
Around 21 members of Kasia’s friends and family, including her mum Diane, 47, and dad John, 49, who works for the Stonham mental health charity, took pat in the Durham Riverside CRY walk, which was held on October 9.
The group joined 50 other people on a four-and-a-half mile walk starting at the rowing club.
Diane, a housewife from Horden’s Brier Avenue, who is also mum to Christopher, 19, said:
“It was the first time the walk was held and come next year it will probably be a bigger thing.
“Myself and John raised around £450 between us and we think as a whole we probably raised £1,000 just from the walk.”
The group finished the walk in one hour and 10 minutes wearing CRY T-shirts emblazoned with a picture of Kasia.
Diane added: “CRY is campaigning for more young people to get screened for heart problems and more and more people are becoming aware of the work it does, which can only be a good thing.
“There are no words to describe the pain a family can feel when something like this happens. You just learn how to deal with it day to day.”
The family have amassed funds through various other activities, including coffee mornings, garden parties, an Hawaiian party and a coast-to-coast cycle ride.
Kasia had visited a GP after complaining about having palpitations just days before she died.
Tests were ordered to be carried out to monitor her heart.
but she was discharged without treatment after they did not find any signs of abnormal rhythm.
Further details of CRY are available at http://www.c-r-y.org.uk
