Copyright walesonline
The family of a much-loved boy from Wales have paid tribute to him after he died suddenly days after saying: "I think it's my heart mummy." Harrison Angell-Chapman died aged just 12 years old on May 6 last year after suffering a cardiac arrest at the family home in Betws near Ammanford, Carmarthenshire , leaving his family and the whole community devastated. A popular member of the school community at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, his friends and teachers celebrated him with balloons and his favourite basketball on the day of his funeral at the Chapel of Rest at Bwtrimawr, Betws. Harrison’s mother Sarah Angell said Harrison, known fondly as Harry, to her knowledge had no underlying health conditions and had never been seriously ill. “He had a severe viral infection in the weeks before but he hadn’t otherwise been ill,” Sarah remembered. “The heart isn’t something you think about at that age is it? We thought we’d be better safe than sorry and so we booked an appointment but Harry said he’d improved then so we cancelled that appointment. I was a GP’s receptionist myself and I knew how precious appointments were. “But on the Friday morning he suddenly said: ‘I think it’s my heart mummy.’ He wasn’t right that bank holiday weekend but he wasn’t too bad either. He wasn’t playing his games as he usually would but he was lying on the sofa with a hot water bottle on his shoulder and I remember he came with me to Tesco and he seemed okay. “He talked about how he was going to go back to school on the Tuesday after the bank holiday but then about half an hour before he collapsed he said: ‘I don’t think I can.’ I said ‘okay’ and I was making arrangements for the following day for him to be with his gran because I needed to go to work. “He was upstairs in the bathroom and he just screamed: ‘Mummy, I’m dizzy.’ And as I opened the bathroom door he collapsed to the floor. His eyes had sort of rolled and he wasn’t responsive. He did come around but when we got him to the hospital we found out how serious it was.” At Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen Harrison was found to have an extremely high heart rate and a high blood pressure and was taken to an operating theatre to receive induction gas when he began coughing and went into cardiac arrest. CPR was administered on Harrison for eight to nine minutes, which revived him, but he later experienced a second cardiac arrest. He passed away at 9.53pm that evening. A post-mortem examination resulted in a provisional medical cause of death for Harrison as myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle - and respiratory tract infection, something very rare for a person of his age. “There was nothing they could have really done at that stage,” Sarah recalled. “They tried. They tried so hard. They kept me with him the whole time, and his dad. They allowed me to be with him right until the end of his life. They were amazing. “When they were taking him into theatre Harry kept pulling his oxygen mask down and saying to the doctors: ‘Thank you for helping me.’ That was the sort of boy he was. He was such a gentleman. We didn’t know he was dying at the time and I really hope he didn't either, but to have a 12-year-old boy thanking the medics like that just breaks my heart.” Sarah said she can’t thank enough the people who looked after her son at the hospital and who continue to help them. She said: “The people at Glangwili are continuing to be amazing. “They are regularly monitoring and testing Harry’s sister to make sure she is fine and her heart is healthy. His sister has been unbelievable. She is so determined and resilient and she hasn’t stopped revising for her GCSEs. She’s incredible.” Paying tribute to her boy she said he was Pokemon and gaming mad and loved basketball, cherry blossom trees and Christmas . She now has two cherry blossom trees in the garden in a remembrance area for him. Sarah said: “The whole community here has been really hit with shock by the loss of Harry. I think they’re also shocked and afraid for their own kids. “Harry was the best. He was insecure in many ways and yet he was so popular. His friends made him the centre of attention. He was prom king in year six prom to celebrate leaving primary school and he couldn’t believe it. “His group of friends which he had from nursery were inseparable and they’ve all found it very hard. They took their own money and went to the garage after school and got this little bunch of flowers and turned up on the doorstep here with them. They’re a beautiful bunch of kids. “Harry hadn’t been at comp very long and yet he was a well-liked person there. His teachers, who wouldn’t have known him very long, signed the condolences book with such lovely messages. Many of them start along the same lines about Harry being such a happy boy with an infectious smile, which is absolutely right. He always wanted to make people smile. “I know every mother thinks their boy is special but Harrison was a truly wonderful person. He had a lovely 12 years but he should have had so much longer.” Harrison's inquest was opened in August and is expected to conclude next year. Sarah said the family hopes that from the inquest they will be able to get some answers as to how and why Harrison died. She asked: “Why did it happen? This doesn’t normally happen to children. It is so cruel. We’ve still got no real understanding." Harrison’s friends are fundraising to have a bench installed at Maesquarre Park in Betws where they used to play basketball with him. The memorial bench will include a plaque to remember Harrison. You can look at their message and help them with a donation here.
