Tragic stories behind St Mary's murals in Southampton revealed

The artwork, painted on the wall of a building on Marine Parade, Southampton by the heart charity, depicts two people: Claire Reed and Danny Singh Rathor. 

Both died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) and have been depicted on the wall with the words "England til I died".

Claire, from Botley, was just 22 when she died in March 2013, five months after she married the love of her life Andy.

Claire and her father Graham Hunter (Image: The British Heart Foundation)

Before she died she developed a love for football and attended Southampton games with Andy and his family, who were season ticket holders.

Sukhwinder Singh Rathor, known to his loved ones as Danny, died aged 27 in March 2009.

The proud father of one was a lifelong Southampton fan and played football twice a week with friends and colleagues.

Danny was driving home from playing football with his friends and it is thought that he pulled over after feeling unwell.

He was later found dead outside his car.

Danny - front row second from right - with his brother Bhadur - back row centre - and friends (Image: The British Heart Foundation)

Danny’s brother, Bhadur, said: “After it happened, I was consumed by anger. This shouldn’t have happened to Danny, he was young, healthy and had his whole life ahead of him.

"But as time has gone on, I’ve had to learn to accept it. You can’t go on being angry forever because it would destroy me, and I know Danny wouldn’t want me to live my life like that.

“It really helps being able to talk about Danny, to share his story and to keep his memory alive.

"Every year I’ll meet up with his friends at the spot where he passed. Then we pop to the pub and just share memories of Danny.

“We’ve also organised a lot of football tournaments in his name and raise money for BHF. I’m so pleased that Danny is going to be part of this BHF campaign – it’s just another part of his legacy.”

Accountant Claire was enjoying a spa break with friends when after a swim, she joined her friends in the jacuzzi and began to feel ill.

The 22-year-old then collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest but despite the best efforts of her friends, including a trainee nurse who performed CPR until paramedics arrived she died.

Left to right Graham and Anne Hunter at the mural of their daughter Claire (Image: The British Heart Foundation)

Claire’s father, Graham Hunter, was at home with his wife, Anne, when he learnt his daughter was critically ill.

He said: “The A&E consultant said it wasn’t looking good and we needed to come immediately. My wife and I drove through the night to get to the hospital. It was the worst journey of our lives.

"When we got to the hospital, I knew from the language the doctor used that Claire had passed away.

“We were taken to see Claire and we stayed with her until we could compose ourselves.

"Claire’s brother, Peter, was overseas at the time travelling with work. He and his sister were very close.

"Telling him what had happened was the hardest phone call we’ve ever had to make.

“I don’t know how we coped. It was such a shock. You don’t expect your child to die before you. We kept asking why?” 

Claire never showed any indication that something could be wrong with her heart.

Graham, and Claire’s brother Peter have since been diagnosed with the inherited heart condition Brugada Syndrome and have been fitted with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) as a precaution.

The mural is one of a dozen portraits unveiled to highlight the 12 young people under the age of 35 who die every week due to sudden cardiac death in the UK.

The murals come as new research from the BHF reveals that the nation is largely unaware of the devastating effect heart disease has on young people.

Bhadur Singh Rathor centre with his wife Priya and their children Amar, Kareena, Arjan, and Kiren (Image: The British Heart Foundation)

The BHF is making an urgent call for more funding into research to understand the causes, and find cures, for sudden cardiac death.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the BHF, said: “Too many lives are being taken too soon by sudden cardiac death. No-one should have to experience the loss of their child, sibling or parent, but sadly that is the cruel reality of heart disease – it doesn’t discriminate.

“As the nation gears up to celebrate the UEFA Euro 2024, these powerful murals serve as a reminder of the young football fans that have been snatched away by sudden cardiac death, and we want to thank the families who have kindly agreed to share their stories.

“The BHF is already carrying out groundbreaking research to treat and prevent the causes of sudden cardiac death, but there is still more to do.

"We now urgently need donations to help us fund more lifesaving research to prevent other families going through this heartbreak.”