The MOTHER of a Gwent teenager whose life was tragically cut short by an undiagnosed heart condition is to give youngsters the chance to get their hearts screened for free.

June Thomas lost her 15-year-old son, Jack, almost ten years ago in 2012 when he died suddenly at home in Oakdale, Caerphilly County.

The screenings are due to take place at Oakdale Medical Centre on Sunday, February 20. They will be offered free of charge to anybody between the ages of 14 and 35.

South Wales Argus: June Thomas (second right) has been tirelessly campaigning in the memory of her son. June Thomas (second right) has been tirelessly campaigning in the memory of her son.

Since her son’s death, Mrs Thomas and her family have campaigned tirelessly in his memory to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions.

Mrs Thomas has been pushing hard to ensure schools across Gwent have access to defibrillators and recently helped the installation of one at Glasllwch Primary School.

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Similarly, her charity ‘Jack’s Appeal ABUHB’ has supported dozens of community campaigns to get the life-saving equipment installed at easy access points.

“I can’t stress enough how important early screening is,” Mrs Thomas told the Argus.

"If the screenings do pick something up then there’s far more chance the issue can be treated which could ultimately save someone’s life.”

Mrs Thomas hosted her first screening at Oakdale Secondary School, her son’s former school, back in 2014.

Ellie Davies, who was 14 at the time and a pupil at the school, discovered that she had a hole in heart when she had the screening organised by Mrs Thomas.

“Since then, we’ve tried to help as many people as possible get screened,” she added.

“We had a letter recently off a dad whose 15-year-old son played football for Blackwood Town.

“He had attended one of the screenings we’d helped organise for the football team and it found an irregularity.

“After further tests it was found he needed surgery for a potentially life threatening condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White, which is a heart rhythm defect that could in the worst case have stopped his heart at any time.

“He’s now had surgery and fully recovered – but it was all down the fact he went for the screening in the first place.”

People attending the screenings next month at Oakdale Medical Centre will be invited in for an ECG read by a cardiologist specialist from London.

If any irregularities are picked up, they could then get a referral for the relevant cardiology treatment.

You’ll be able to book on to a free screening by following the ‘Jack’s Appeal ABUHB’ Facebook page here.