Yahoo News Young NUFC fan who died aged 14 remembered with touching mural in Newcastle
A touching tribute has been unveiled in memory of a teen who "lived and breathed football" before he died aged 14.
Taylor Atherton dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and had previously trialed for Newcastle. His mum recalls how he had been kicking a ball "since he could walk" and had followed in his dad's footsteps of being a huge Newcastle United supporter.
But in 2016 Taylor sadly passed away after having a cardiac arrest overnight. A powerful mural has now been unveiled by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in his memory and to help raise awareness of sudden cardiac death. Taylor's mural is one of 12 unveiled across the country as part of the BHF campaign, each commemorating a talented young footballer or fan who died too soon.
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Elaine Burnett, Taylor's mum, said: "Taylor lived and breathed football – he had been kicking a ball since he could walk. He was a massive Newcastle FC fan like his dad, and they started going to games together when Taylor was six. Taylor dreamed of playing professionally – he had a trial for Newcastle when he was in middle school and started training with Middlesbrough Academy in the months before he died."
Elaine remembers her last moments with Taylor vividly, she said: "The day before Valentine’s Day 2016 was a Saturday. Taylor was going out for dinner the next day, and the night before he was deciding what to wear. We had dinner and I said goodnight to Taylor and went to bed. That was the last time I ever spoke to him.
"The next morning was a typical Sunday morning – I was making a roast with our daughters, Jess and Megan, and Taylor’s dad Lee had taken our other daughter Lois to gymnastics. Taylor always kept his door shut, so I thought he was sleeping, and mid-morning I sent our daughter Megan, who was four at the time, to check on him."
Megan told Elaine that Taylor was on the floor and wasn’t answering her. Elaine said: "I went upstairs and immediately knew something was terribly wrong." Elaine phoned for an ambulance who talked her through CPR. "I carried on, even though I knew he was gone", she added.
The paramedics shocked Taylor’s heart with a defibrillator, but the family were told that Taylor had died. It was later discovered that Taylor’s left coronary artery hadn’t developed correctly, stopping the heart from working properly, which led to the cardiac arrest.
Elaine said: "Taylor's funeral was packed with his school and football friends and teachers. It was a testament to how many lives Taylor had touched in his 14 years. Those first weeks and months were very hard. All we could do was support each other but Lee and I just got on with it because we had the girls."
Taylor’s family have since set up the Taylor Atherton Foundation, to help fund community defibrillators.
“This year was the eighth anniversary of Taylor’s death, and we want to keep his story alive. It doesn’t get any easier but you have to learn to live with it. Taylor would have been 23 now, and I think he’d be so supportive of sharing his story to help others. We need to find out why sudden cardiac death happens, and we need to stop this happening to other families", she added.
Located in Ouseburn, Newcastle, the mural features the emotive message 'Til I Died'. At a time when the nation is looking forward to celebrating the Euros 2024, it is yet another reminder of their loss for the families coming to terms with the sudden death of a loved one whose dreams of playing for, or supporting their national team, disappeared in an instant.
Each week, 12 young people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK. However, new research from the BHF reveals that the nation is largely unaware of the devastating effect heart disease has on young people.
A nationally representative survey has revealed that over a quarter of Brits (27%) don’t believe a heart condition can affect you if you are aged under 35. Those surveyed also severely underestimated the number of under 35s that die each week from sudden cardiac death, with most thinking it was seven people – almost half less than the shocking reality in the UK.
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 British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "Too many lives, like Taylor’s, 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 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 donate to the British Heart Foundation today, visit bhf.org.uk/untilidied
