“I got a call. They said Tom collapsed. Someone was doing chest compressions” - says Chesterfield mum after striking mural in memory of son unveiled

A powerful mural has been unveiled in Chesterfield, by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to remember Tom Henson, who died in 2018 aged just 23, after having a cardiac arrest while playing football with his friends.

Tom was fit, healthy and loved sport, playing football for Carr Vale Colts FC from the age of 4, as well as being an avid Sheffield United fan.

He is remembered by his loved ones for his sense of fun, laid-back attitude and drive to succeed in life.

Tom’s mother, Nikki O’Halloran said: “The day Tom died was a Tuesday. It was 6.06pm, and as I got home from work, I got a call on my work phone. When I answered, it was one of Tom’s friends from football – they said Tom had collapsed on the pitch.

"Someone was doing chest compressions and that they were waiting for an ambulance and an air ambulance. That’s when I realised how serious it was.”

Tom was taken to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. When they arrived, his family were taken in to see him while the doctors performed CPR and shocked Tom with a defibrillator.

Nikki said: “When they allowed us into the room, that’s the moment I knew he’d gone. They’d been trying desperately to save him for two hours and had to take the decision to stop. They did everything they could.”

The actions of the ambulance crew that day inspired Tom’s brother Joe, who was 15 at the time, to work for the ambulance service as a member of the 999 emergency response team, and in his spare time volunteers as a community first responder.

Joe, now 21, said: “We met the ambulance crew a few months later, and I made a promise to them that this was the career I wanted to pursue. I think Tom would be proud.”

Testing later showed that Tom had left ventricular hypertrophy and supravalvular stenosis, a congenital heart condition that occurs when the heart is still developing in the womb.

Nikki said: “Looking back, I don’t know how we got through the first months after losing Tom, that time is a blur. It helped that we’re very close as a family.”

Together, Nikki and Shaun O’Halloran, Tom’s stepfather, have set up the Tom Henson Charity, raising money for community defibrillators, so far helping provide 34 defibrillators across local communities.

Nikki said: “I think Tom would be happy that his story is helping raise awareness of sudden cardiac death. If just one person gets checked out and gets a heart diagnosis, or someone learns CPR, it’s worth it.”

Tom’s mural is one of 12 unveiled across the country as part of the BHF campaign. As the UEFA Euro 2024 kicks off, each painting commemorates a talented young footballer or fan who died too soon.

Located at Whittington Moor, Chesterfield, the mural features the emotive message ‘Til I Died’. At a time when people are looking forward to watching the month-long festival of football with their family and friends, for families like Tom’s, it is yet another poignant reminder of loved ones who are no longer with us. 

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 Tom’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.”