THE HEARTBROKEN dad of an 11-year-old who died suddenly in her sleep says she went to bed “normally” – but never woke up.
Steve Pritchard, 43, says his little girl, Matilda, had been a “healthy” child and showed no signs of illness.
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But on the morning of April 3, 2024, Steve and his wife, Anna, 43, discovered Matilda had suffered a cardiac arrest in her sleep – meaning her heart had stopped.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the 11-year-old was pronounced dead.
Steve, a company director, from Pudsey, Leeds, said: “As any child would do, Matilda went up to bed and just never woke up.
“It’s been catastrophically terrible.”
Read more on heart health
On the evening of April 2, Matilda went up to bed as normal.
She didn’t show any signs of distress – but the morning of April 3, Steve and Anna discovered her unresponsive in bed.
They called an ambulance immediately – paramedics arrived in two ambulances within minutes to attempt resuscitation.
But Matilda was pronounced dead on arrival at Leeds General Infirmary.
Steve said: “Despite the best efforts of Leeds General Infirmary, Matilda passed away of an undiagnosed heart condition.
“During the few weeks before the post-mortem, no-one knew what it was.
“We had comfort from other parents in Facebook groups, who had each lost their children unexpectedly.”
After Matilda’s death, a pathologist confirmed she had suffered from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) – a rare genetic condition that causes certain heart muscles to become weak, making it unable to pump blood as it should.
It tends to be caused by a gene mutation that can be passed down from your parents.
Most people with the condition live normal lives and might not even develop symptoms.
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But others can experience palpitations, lightheadedness and fainting, as well as chest pain and abnormal heart rhythm.
Steve, Anna and Matilda’s 14-year-old sister, Olivia, have since had several tests to rule out the condition in themselves – including an MRI and genetic blood test.
“We were immediately worried about Olivia,” Steve said.
“She’s 14, and symptoms usually start around 13.
“But everything’s come back completely clean – we’re all fine.”
‘Avenue for grief’
Now, the family is working to honour Matilda’s “last wish” – to “rid the world of litter.”
“I’m hoping we can start the process of our little girl’s dream, of a world without litter,” Steve said.
Matilda was “an animal lover – who was passionate about the environment”.
She loved litter-picking around Pudsey Park, and was given a ‘Blue Peter Green Badge’ in early 2024 for showing she cared about nature, the environment and sustainability.
Can I get checks for heart health?
You can get screened for heart disease through the NHS Health Check – a free check-up of your overall health.
Aside from heart issues, it can tell you if you’re at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as:
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Stroke
During the check-up you’ll discuss how to reduce your risk of these conditions.
The check is for people who are aged 40 to 74 who do not have any of the following pre-existing conditions:
- Heart disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Atrial fibrillation
- Transient ischaemic attack
- Inherited high cholesterol
- Heart failure
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Stroke
- Currently being prescribed statins to lower cholesterol
- Previous checks have found that you have a 20 per cent or higher risk of getting cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years
If you fit these criteria, you should be invited to an NHS Health Check by your GP or local council every five years.
You’ll be asked about medical conditions in your family and your exercise, smoking and alcohol habits.
A health professional will also test your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Calculate your heart age
You can also calculate the age of your heart through this NHS tool.
Your heart age gives you an idea of how healthy your heart is.
This calculator will compare your real age to your heart age by asking you questions about your health.
You’ll also find out how to improve your heart age by making some healthy lifestyle changes.
Source: NHS
“The news was always difficult for Matilda,” Steve said.
“Especially with global events, like bushfires.
“Litter-picking was the only actionable thing she could do, being an 11-year-old.
“A few years back, she joined the litter-free Pudsey group.
“She was proud – she had her litter picker, purple bin bags, and we’d go litter-picking together.
“She said to me one day: ‘Daddy – I dream of a world without litter.’ “All I could say was: ‘One day, sweetheart.”
In order to honour Matilda’s “last wish” – Steve has set up a JustGiving page to raise funds for environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The money raised will fund the charity Eco Schools – which aim to integrate environmental learning into the national curriculum.
Steve and Anna want to raise enough money to keep the programme going for five years – to mark the years of secondary school Matilda had ahead.
“It’s a just cause – one we felt was right,” Steve said.
“We smashed our initial target within two weeks.
“The initial budget raised would go into one year of supporting the programme – I thought, ‘let’s up our budget to five years – one for each year Matilda would’ve been at secondary school.’
“It’s been an avenue for our grief – it’s a way of expanding her legacy.
“This has been a distraction for me – but there’s still an empty space, and after this I want to focus on taking care of the family.”
The fundraiser has now reached £28,154 in donations.
Pascale Harvie, President and General Manager of JustGiving, said: “It’s heart-breaking to hear Matilda’s story.
“No family should ever face the devastation of losing a child.
“The work that Matilda’s loved ones continue to do in her honour is beyond incredible and we wish them the very best in their fundraising journey.”
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