Grant, June and Owain Thomas

Grant, June and Owain Thomas, from Oakdale, have been chosen as Finalists for the St David Award for Citizenship for their tireless fundraising following the tragic death of their 15-year old son.

Jack Thomas died suddenly and unexpectedly in February 2012. He was a fit and sporty teenager. It is estimated that around 12 young people (between 14-35 years old) die every week from undiagnosed heart failure.

Since Jack’s death, the Thomas family have raised funds to pay for Cardiac Risk in the Young to travel to Oakdale several times a year to test 111 teenagers and young adults for heart problems twice a year, at a cost of £35 per person.

The money they’ve raised has also gone towards purchasing defibrillators, which have been donated to every secondary school in the area and staff and pupils have received training in how to use them. One of these donated defibrillators saved the life of a parent who went into cardiac arrest during a parents’ evening.