A young Glasgow man who collapsed and died at work aged just 22 is featuring in a new campaign to promote awareness of sudden cardiac death. 

A montage of old video clips of Chris Murray, shot by friends and family, have been pulled together to create the advert for the British Heart Foundation. 

It highlights how the 22-year-old loved music and was a talented guitar player until his tragic death in 2017, when he collapsed and died having suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. 

His father, Craig, said: “Chris was a very happy child, always smiling and full of fun. He danced around with headphones on from being a toddler.

"He loved singing, dancing, acting, and played bass and acoustic guitar. He had eclectic music tastes and he’d often be out on our decking putting on shows.”

Chris was three when he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic condition which causes the heart muscle to become stiff and thickened making it harder to pump blood around the body. 

People with HCM also have an increased risk of developing a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm, which can cause a cardiac arrest and sudden death. 

Although losing Chris was devastating, his family was determined for his legacy to live on and in the years since his death a dedicated team of supporters have raised thousands of pounds in his name.

Craig said: “When we lost Chris, it brought everything into focus for us as far as heart research is concerned.

"We can put a man on the moon but only research can eradicate the genes that trigger these inherited heart conditions."

The family hope that sharing Chris’ story through the BHF’s new video series will also make a difference.

The campaign, which run on YouTube throughout November and December, highlights the fact that 12 people under 35 suffer a sudden cardiac death each week in the UK. 

It comes after the BHF previously unveiled a mural in Chris’ memory, in Glasgow, ahead of the UEFA Euros 2024.

Chris’ mural was amongst 12 launched across the country, with each painting commemorating a talented young footballer or fan who died too soon.

“It was very emotional to see Chris up there and his mural had a huge impact on friends, family and strangers but I was chuffed to bits with the attention it got and hopefully the awareness it raised,” added Craig.

The legendary DJ and broadcaster Annie MacManus, will also be sharing Chris’ story on her podcast, Changes, from November 4 until mid-December

She said: “Chris was a passionate music lover, and also a football superfan, whose life was tragically cut short.

"Chris had wonderfully diverse tastes in music from Oasis to Beyonce and it wasn’t just about listening for Chris, he also played music himself and was very talented on both bass an acoustic guitar.

"Chris’ story is a reminder of how fragile life can be.”

The BHF is now urgently calling for donations so that it can fund lifesaving research to keep more hearts beating.

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is devastating that Chris’ hopes and dreams were cruelly snatched away from him.

"Our thoughts are with his family, and we want to thank them for working with us to help create this powerful series which shows the true reality of sudden cardiac death.

“Each week, 12 young people under the age of 35 are lost to sudden cardiac death in the UK.

"These are the lives of children, siblings and parents ended in an instant, leaving their loved ones distraught.

“We can help put an end to this tragic reality by funding more lifesaving research – but we can only do this with the help of our supporters.”

 

The charity has already invested in a number of studies including the £30 million CureHeart programme – the most ambitious research grant in the BHF’s history - aims to develop the first cures for inherited heart muscle diseases.

Led by Professor Hugh Watkins at the University of Oxford, a team is developing revolutionary gene therapy technologies to target the genetic faults that can cause these conditions.

In another study, Professor Elijah Behr at St George’s, University of London, is hunting the genetic clues behind unexplained cardiac arrests.