A MUM who has campaigned for every Gwent school to be fitted with a heart defibrillator will help host a heart screening day in memory of her son.

The event - organised by the Argus-backed Jack’s Appeal - will commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of Oakdale teenager Jack Thomas.

Jack died suddenly on February 12, 2012. Over the last two years his mum, June, has successfully campaigned to get defibrillators into every secondary school in Gwent. She has now set her sights on primary schools.

The Oakdale surgery screening day, on Saturday, will see Jack’s Appeal team up with charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), to screen over 100 people aged between 14 and 35.

Mrs Thomas described February and the anniversary of her son's death as a “very emotional time” for the family.

She said: “Even four years on it doesn’t get any easier.

“However, the purpose of this event is to hopefully pick up heart defects early in other people and if that happens, Jack is still helping people even though he is not here.”

Jack was 15-years-old when he died suddenly at his girlfriend’s house in Newbridge and his parents are still yet to find out what caused his death.

June Thomas helped raise the £3,885 to fund the screening day and despite working a full-time job, refuses to “take a wage” to run Jacks Appeal.

After raising more than £32,500 in just a year, the appeal hopes to pass “Jack’s Law” through government — requiring every public place to have a defibrillator on site.

Cardiac Risk in the Young founder Alison Cox MBE, expressed her thanks to those “who worked so hard to raise funds needed to bring cardiac screening to Caerphilly in memory of Jack.”

She added: “I still find it very humbling that despite their own experience, bereaved families are able to support us through such tremendous fundraising efforts - often driven by the will to prevent other parents, siblings, partners and friends from having to endure the same devastating grief as they have."

According to Cardiac Risk in the Young, every week 12 people in the UK die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

In 80 percent of these cases, there will have been no signs or symptoms of a heart defect until it is too late.

The Oakdale Surgery screening day is fully booked.

For more information on Jack's Appeal, visit welshhearts.org/jacksappeal or rememberingjack.co.uk