Concert to raise money for cardiac screenings

A fundraising concert has been organised in memory of an eight-year-old boy who died from a cardiac arrest.

Jasper Cook, from Birkenshaw, died in January 2022, three days after he fell ill with Covid-19.

His parents, Kim and Ian Cook, said money raised from the event would be used to help fund cardiac screenings for young people.

The event comes after Mrs Cook was nominated in the fundraiser category for this year's BBC Radio Leeds Make a Difference Awards.

"My whole ethos behind what we've been doing in Jasper's name is, the more people I can reach, the more money I can raise, the more young hearts I can screen, the more people I can stop being in this terrible position," she said.

"We have already now done three days and tested nearly 300 young people between the ages of 14 and 35."

Since her son's death Mrs Cook has completed a number of fundraising challenges and events, including skydiving.

The concert, taking place at St Paul's Church later, in Birkenshaw, will feature a choir from Birkenshaw primary school, as well as singers from St Paul's and the BBG Academy.

It will also feature the first public performance of a song written by in memory of Jasper by his friend and her father, called A Song for Jasper.

Mrs Cook said: "It's been a really difficult few years, but we are I think pulling through.

"I think what we've been doing with the heart screening has really given us a little bit of focus.

The BBC Make a Difference Awards are organised to thank and recognise people who want to improve the lives of people in the communities where they live, with the winners due to be announced at a ceremony in Bradford on 13 September

Mrs Cook was nominated by a family friend who said: "It is truly remarkable that the family, despite their utter grief in dealing with the tragic loss of their young son, are honouring his memory by doing all that they can to prevent other families having to go through what they have suffered."

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