To raise awareness of the heart-related risks facing young people, we marked the first anniversary of Tom’s death by placing an advert in the Tottenham programme for a match that fell on October 5.
This was a personal initiative by the family, no money from Tom’s Fund was used to pay for the advert.
Cardiac Risk in the Young, CRY, have held a Heart of London Bridges Walk every year since the summer of 2007. We walk to remember Tom and all those like him.
At the time of our first walk in July 2008, the eight bridges crossed symbolised the eight young lives believed to be lost every week to undiagnosed heart conditions. Now we know it’s at least 12.
“Team Tom” has walked to raise funds and awareness every year since then. We are grateful to the hundreds of people who have supported us over that period, many of whom have been with us every year.
Tom’s sister, Ellen,helped organise a cake sale in aid of CRY at the school they both attended, Drayton Manor High School in Hanwell.
The event raised £100.
Tom’s last match was a Carling Cup final tie so it seemed right to try to raise awareness at the Carling Cup final.
This was a family initiative, taken before Tom’s Fund was set up, and thus no money from the fund was used in the placing of the advert.
Tom loved football and was an enthusiastic player. Hanwell’s tribute was much appreciated.
In Lammas Park October 2007
(In memory of Tom Clabburn who died in autumn in the springtime of his years)
Wine-dark leaves
hopped on the grass
like drunken toads
blushed on
Nuits-St-Georges,
malignant elves
in a dance of death.
There they crabbed,
cryptic as grounded bats,
or tea leaves dregged
for divination.
For me, I speculated,
in the twilight of my years,
they are hosting for me.
Gold leaves shimmered
a stone’s throw away
for a boy
of fourteen summers,
a stone’s throw away
in this park
where he played
football and sparkled
with his mates.
This boy, bright as
sun-struck gorse,
has Morsed his spot
in our hearts,
mapped himself
in our familiar places.
His unmade years
will morph into light
beyond my lingering.
Reproduced with kind permission of the author, James Ballantyne. First published in Poetry Ealing 17 magazine in July 2008.
Tom died on October 5, 2007. He was 14.
Paul wrote this article for the BBC News website just over a month later. You can read it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7109834.stm
