“Miss… how do you do this?”
A young man asked me that this week at The Link School Sunderland.
He asked it openly, bravely, in front of his whole classroom. And for a second, the room stood still.
Because the truth is, I don’t think you ever truly “do” this.
You don’t move on from losing your child.
You don’t make peace with stolen futures.
You just learn to carry the weight of it. And eventually, you make a decision that the pain has to mean something.
My answer to him was less of an explanation and more of a promise.
Because our young people deserve more than this.
I can still remember filling a trolley in IKEA for Poppy’s university room like it was yesterday. Cushions. Bedding. Storage boxes. Little touches she loved. We wanted everything to be perfect for her move to London.
Poppy adored UAL.
Fashion was her world.
She was excited for independence, for creativity, for life itself.
She was supposed to move into a house with her friends.
She was supposed to graduate.
She was supposed to still be here.
Instead, every week in the UK, 12 young people die from an undiagnosed cardiac condition.
- Every. Week.
And still, too many people do not know the warning signs.
Fainting during exercise is NOT normal.
It is a cardiac red flag.
Too many young people are told they are anxious.
Too many families are reassured by a standalone ECG despite ongoing symptoms.
Too many opportunities for earlier intervention are missed.
This week, standing in classrooms at Southmoor Academy Sixth Form and The Link School Sunderland, I was reminded of something powerful:
Young people WANT these conversations.
They want honesty.
They want education.
They want to understand their bodies and protect their futures.
And when you speak openly, they listen.
At The Link School, the warmth, honesty, and courage shown by the young people was extraordinary. In a world that often misunderstands them, they showed compassion, curiosity, and maturity beyond their years.
At Southmoor Academy Sixth Form, students engaged in conversations around heart health and advocacy with genuine passion and thoughtfulness.
This is why prevention and early intervention must sit at the centre of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan conversation.
Because prevention is not a slogan.
It is a young life saved before tragedy happens.
We need:
- Earlier recognition.
- Better awareness.
- Stronger referral pathways.
- And clinicians empowered to refer based on symptoms and presentation, not solely on a “normal” ECG.
Behind the scenes, Poppy’s Light Foundation is building towards something we hope can help change the future for young people across the Northeast and beyond.
A vision for a dedicated ICC Hub, north and south of our incredible region, alongside a mobile offer.
A place bringing together cardiac screening, education, advocacy, clinical pathways, family support, and youth-focused care under one connected model.
Not simply responding after loss.
But preventing loss in the first place.
Because families deserve answers sooner.
Young people deserve to be heard.
And preventable cardiac deaths should never become normal.
That young man asked me, “How do you do this?”
The answer is simple.
Because somebody else’s child still has time. 