THE family of Marc Prendergast who died as a result of a cardiac arrest in 2020 aged 38 are set to hold a fundraiser for Cardiac Risk in the Young to mark what would have been his 40th birthday.
Marc, a keen footballer presented to the hospital with chest pain and passed away shortly after due to suffering an aortic aneurysm. Marc played football for Tullymore Swifts. A few years before his untimely death, his teammate Tony Campbell also passed away as a result of a cardiac condition.
In July 2020, another Tullymore Swifts player, Brendan Dorrian, collapsed aged 33 on the pitch at Crumlin United but thankfully he survived due to the help of his teammates, the presence of a defibrillator at the ground and the actions of paramedics and the Air Ambulance.
Discussing the upcoming event, Marc’s wife, Jennifer said: “As a family we felt that we could have chosen Chest, Heart and Stroke as our charity but because Marc was so young and with three of the boys who played for the team all suffering cardiac conditions, this will show that it doesn’t matter what age you are, cardiac conditions can come upon you at any stage in your life.
“With Covid and the restrictions, this is the first time that we will have been able to gather properly in his memory and the interest has been phenomenal. While we are celebrating Marc’s memory, our main aim is to raise as much money as possible for this charity.
“This event is open to anyone who wants to come along, support the charity and have a great night out. It is a great opportunity for West Belfast to come together and celebrate.
“As a family we have been blown away with the support we have received. After we put the message out on Facebook, over 100 local businesses have come forward and donated prizes to be raffled on the night.”
The event will take place on 12 February from 8pm in The Devenish with tickets priced at £20 which can be paid on the night.
To donate to the family’s fundraiser, visit their GoFundMe page.
