A family has spoken of their 'incredibly difficult' loss a decade after their 13-year-old son died from a sudden cardiac arrest while playing football. Jamie Skinner collapsed on the pitch during a match for Tynecastle Hearts Football Club in Edinburgh three days before Christmas 2013.
His sister, Sonia Skinner, 39, said Jamie was 'fitness-mad' and always wanted to be a professional footballer. He had no known health issues. He was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but could not be saved. Doctors later determined he had an enlarged heart and died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.
The family set up the Jamie Skinner Foundation to provide defibrillators and CPR training. The charity closed this year after raising thousands of pounds, funding over 100 defibrillators, and donating remaining funds to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Jamie's story is part of a BHF campaign highlighting that 12 people under 35 die each week from sudden cardiac death in the UK. A mural in Leith was unveiled in his memory ahead of Euro 2024.
