'I would hate for Calum to have died in vain' - Mum's plea for more cardiac screenings after son's tragic death

A Highland mum who lost her teen son to suspected heart failure is urging for more young people to be offered cardiac screenings.

Aged 19, Kingussie shinty star Calum Mackintosh died suddenly during his time as a university student in Edinburgh.

His mum Ann, from Carrbridge, now wants more youngsters given the opportunity to check if they have any undiagnosed heart conditions.

"Horrific" phone call

Last November, Calum was in his second year of studying law at Napier University when he woke up, walked through to his kitchen for a glass of water and collapsed.

While in the arms of his best friend who tried to save him, Calum smiled, said 'this is not good' and died a short time later.

Grantown Grammar School teacher Ann was guiding visually impaired and blind people to Everest base camp when the tragedy unfolded back in Scotland.

Ann told us about receiving the devastating phone call during the night.

She said: "That was horrific.

"I got woken at 2:30am by the team leader who said, 'there's been a family emergency, you need to phone home.'

"I had to use a satellite phone and my eldest son Alan had to tell me what happened.

"Then, I became very aware as I turned on my phone that it was all over Facebook.

"Thankfully, Alan had spoken to me before all these messages came in.

"It has been very challenging,

"My husband and I are both teachers.

"He works in Kingussie where Calum was well-known because he played shinty there and I work in Grantown where Calum went to school.

"It doesn't matter where we go, everybody knows who we are and knows our story."

'If I can stop one family going through what we've gone through, then I'd be delighted.'

When Calum died, many tributes posted online referred to not only his academic and sporting abilities, but to his kind and friendly personality.

Ann explained how this has provided some comfort.

She added: "It's nice to see how well loved he was and while I'm sad so many people have been affected by this, I'm also delighted he had an effect on so many lives in 19 years."

According to the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity, every week 12 apparently fit and healthy people aged 35 and under die from previously undiagnosed heart conditions in the UK.

They also say that although screening will not identify all young people at risk, in Italy, where screening is mandatory for all young people engaged in organised sport, they have reduced the incidence of young sudden cardiac death by 89%.

Because of this, Ann is desperate for more youngsters to access screenings and for key policy makers to commit to a national strategy on the issue.

She said: "I would hate for Calum to have died in vain,

"He's gone, I can't change that.

"If through spreading the message and raising money for cardiac screenings I can stop one family going through what we've gone through, then I'd be delighted."

Since Calum passed away, Kingussie Camanachd Club have helped their players travel to Musselburgh to receive screenings.

Ann told us about another fitting tribute the club have done in his memory.

She said: "They've made him their mascot in a way because his nickname was 'the otter', so all the boys now have otter badges with his name on their shirts.

"He's at every game, he's always there with them."

For more information about Calum's story and to donate to his memorial fund, click here