The mother of a Leyland girl who almost died when she collapsed during school sports day has spoken out about what happened for the first time.
Caroline Terry, mum of 10-year-old Mirren, wants to raise awareness of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) which almost claimed the life of her daughter.
The concerned mum now faces an anxious wait to see if the condition is hereditary and could affect her two-year-old daughter, Olivia.
Mirren was only saved by the quick-thinking response of teachers at Lever House Primary School in Farington.
She said: "Mirren has now been diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, which is a branch of SADS. She is now on medication for the rest of her life and has had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) fitted to help regulate her heart beat.
"When Mirren collapsed she went into cardiac arrest. When they shocked her she went into ventricular fibrillation and her heart was beating at 300bpm compared to a normal rate of around 120bpm.
"Myself and Olivia have been tested, but we haven't had the results back yet. If it turns about to be hereditary, the fact that we know means Olivia could be treated with medication."
Caroline now wants the family to return to a normal life after a whirlwind few weeks but wants to raise awareness about the condition.
- For more on this story, see this week's Leyland Guardian
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