Giant mural appears in West London after England football fanatic dies suddenly at parent's home

A 20-year-old football fanatic who tragically lost her life when she collapsed and died from a sudden cardiac arrest at her parent's home has been honoured in a new giant mural that has appeared in West London. Libbey Peverall, from West Drayton in Hillingdon, was an aspiring beautician and football fanatic who has been unveiled on the new mural in Hammersmith as part of a new campaign by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), timed to coincide with Euro 2024.

Libbey’s brother, Charlie, vividly remembers the day that they lost Libbey in February 2023. The 31-year-old said: “I noticed I had three missed calls on my phone from my mum. I rang her back and she said, ‘I think Libbey’s had a heart attack’.

“I was still on the phone to mum when the paramedics arrived to work on Libbey. I just kept shouting, “Is she breathing mum?”. But she wasn’t. I told my mum to tell Libbey I was coming to be with her.

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"I got straight in the car. In my mind she was going to be OK. But as I was driving there my dad called to say they couldn’t save her, and she’d been pronounced dead.

“When I arrived at the house all I could see was ambulance and police cars. I laid on the floor with Libbey for a while before they took her in the ambulance to hospital. I was just in shock; I just couldn’t believe this was happening.”

The mural of Libbey, which is on Kings Street in Hammersmith, is one of a dozen portraits unveiled by the BHF, highlighting the 12 young people under the age of 35 who die every week due to sudden cardiac death in the UK.

Each one of the 12 paintings commemorates a talented young footballer or fan who lost their life at a young age. In the mural, Libbey wears an England T-shirt with the slogan ‘England ‘til I died’. Libbey was a passionate Chelsea fan who would often go to games with her brother.

Charlie said: “Libbey was football mad. I got her hooked on football when she came with me to a game. One of my best memories is when I surprised her with tickets to go and see Chelsea play Manchester City in Manchester We got a coach there and we didn’t get home until 3am but we had the best time.

Charlie, who has spina bifida, said he is still grieving from the loss of his only sibling. He said: “Libbey was my only sibling and when she died it was like I’d lost half of my body – I just felt really incomplete.

"My mum and dad have really struggled since Libby’s death, so I just wanted to put on a brave face and be strong for them. But deep down, it kills me inside. I really don’t think I’ve even grieved properly yet – it’s all still so raw.”

He added: “Libbey was a one-in-a-million girl – simply irreplaceable. She’d come into a room and just light it up and she was so funny and warm and open. She was just really kind and loving and would do anything for everyone. Libbey was the best sister I could ask for.”

The BHF is today making an urgent call for more funding into research to understand the causes, and find cures, for sudden cardiac death. The nation’s biggest heart charity says more needs to be done to prevent the heartbreaking tragedies that strike 12 families every week in the UK.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the BHF, said: “As the nation celebrates 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 urgently need donations to help us fund more lifesaving research to prevent other families going through this heartbreak.”

To read more and donate to the British Heart Foundation today, click HERE

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