A family has urged young people to get screened for heart conditions after a teenager died from an undetected abnormality.
Darwen Vale High School pupil Rebecca Duxbury, or Becky as she was known, was found dead in her bed at the family home in Lady Close, Lower Darwen.
An inquest heard Becky had complained of being unwell when she went to bed at 9.30pm on Tuesday October 2. Her body was found the following morning.
By process of elimination, the cause of the Darwen Ladies junior footballerโs death was probably an abnormal cardiac rhythm, an inquest heard.
Dr Melanie Newbold, consultant paediatric pathologist at Royal Manchester Childrenโs Hospital, said a post-mortem examination had revealed no evidence of infection, metabolic disease, drugs or bio-chemical disorder.
Becky had been picked up from school, where she had been playing netball, by her father Ray Duxbury, 39, a police dog handler for Greater Manchester Police, on October 2.
Mr Duxbury said: โShe was a 13-year-old lass, full of life.
โItโs a massive, massive shock, something we will never really get over.
โThere is nothing in our familyโs history but we have been advised to seek medical advice to find out if it was a one off.
โWe would like to thank our beautiful daughter Rebecca Louise Duxbury for allowing us to be part of her short life. We are very proud of her and miss her dearly.โ
Beckyโs mother, Vanessa Clark, 37, who is hoping to return to work as a cashier in Tesco Metro, Blackburn, on Monday, said: โShe was very outgoing, bubbly and friendly.
โOnce you met her you would never forget her.
โShe was very sporty and would try her hand at anything.
โShe played for Darwen Ladies Football Club for four and a half years and she was very popular in school.
โI keep asking why this happened. She wanted to go to university, get a good job and make us proud. She loved life.
A national charity, CRY โ Cardiac Risk in the Young, hold regular heart screenings across the UK to test for abnormalities.
Mr Duxbury added: โThe inquest has helped find a little bit of peace.
โNo-one should have to go through what we have been through. Everyone should be tested.
โWe never stop thinking about her and the name of the charity CRY, is quite apt, as we have never stopped crying ever since this happened.
โWe have to keep going for our other children.โ
Becky had two younger brothers, Scott, 12, and Josh, five.
Deputy coroner Carolyn Singleton recorded a natural causes verdict.