by Jenni Horn

The father of a teenager who died of an undetected heart condition said footballer Fabrice Muamba’s collapse on the pitch during the FA Cup quarter-final brought back painful memories.

Roger Maddams watched in horror as Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed with a suspected heart attack during the tie against Tottenham on Saturday evening

Roger’s son Jack, of Georgian Way, Wigmore, died in his sleep in April 2008, aged 17.

It was later discovered the Rochester Math School pupil had an undetected heart defect.

Speaking yesterday (Sunday) Roger said: "It was been an awful 24 hour hours to be honest. It has brought it all back.

"I was listening to the match on the radio and when it happened I ran into the front room and put the TV on. Watching it unfold in front of my eyes was horrible."

Since Jack’s death, his family has raised more than £17,000 for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to help pay for young people to be tested for heart problems.

The family has organised a second free screening day at Priestfield Stadium in April, when all the first team players and the youth players will be tested.

Roger added: "Something like this brings it all home why we are raising money for screening.

"It shows that it can happen to the fittest and most unlikeliest of people. We are working with Gillingham FC to make sure that they don’t experience something like this."

Last year, the Medway Messenger reported how heart screenings given to nine of Gillingham’s youth team players by the FA revealed that two of them, including manager Andy Hessenthaler’s son Jake, had heart problems.

Both were seen by specialists before being given the all clear and allowed to continue to play.

Muamba, 23, is still critically ill in the heart attack centre at the London Chest Hospital.

Medics spent six minutes trying to resuscitate him on the field after he fell to the ground with no other players around him.

As he was taken to hospital, referee Howard Webb called the visibly shaken players off the field and the match was abandoned.

The free heart screening day takes place at Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday, April, 17. Members of the public, aged 14 to 35, can book a test at www.testmyheart.org