Mural for teen who died of sudden cardiac arrest

Myles Christie was a keen footballer who died in May 2023, aged 15

A mural has been unveiled for a 15-year-old footballer who died of sudden cardiac arrest, as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about heart disease.

Myles Christie died in May 2023, eight years after his father passed away from the same condition.

“Losing your child is the worst thing that can happen to you. I never thought I’d lose my husband, let alone my son,” said Hayley Christie, Myles' mother.

The mural in Digbeth, Birmingham, is one of 12 artworks across the UK put together by the British Heart Foundation charity.

Myles was studying for his GCSEs and played for Brewood Juniors Football Club in Staffordshire

Myles, who was studying for his GCSEs and had ambitions to be a PE teacher, had played for Brewood Juniors Football Club in Staffordshire since he was seven.

In May 2023, Ms Christie went to wake him one morning and found him lying face down on the floor by his bed. He died in hospital two days later.

“Myles was fit, he was healthy, he ate well," said Ms Christie, 38, who lives in Wheaton Aston in Staffordshire.

She said she hopes the mural increases awareness and that research will help to tackle sudden cardiac deaths.

Also known as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome or SADS, the British Heart Foundation describes the condition as when someone dies from a cardiac arrest but it's not clear what caused it.

The charity says 12 people under 35 in the UK die of a sudden cardiac arrest each week.

Ms Christie said the mural on Digbeth High Street had created a legacy for Myles

As the Euro 2024 championship gets underway, the murals highlight a dozen young footballers or fans who have died in this way, with other artworks in cities including Newcastle and Southampton.

Ms Christie said the mural on Digbeth High Street had created a legacy for Myles and seeing it had been “a very emotional moment”.

She added that she would be following the Euros this summer in her son's memory.

“We’re going to hold a Euros party at home with the family, because it’s what Myles would have wanted," she said.