THE family and friends of a Norton man who died suddenly aged 24 are raising funds for research in his memory.

David Stier was found to have suffered from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), after he collapsed and died on his way to hospital last October.

His sister, Sophy, said David, who had recently graduated from Keele University, had not been feeling well that morning.

“David had been sick and by lunchtime he was struggling to get his breath,” she said.

“He was told to get to Malton Hospital, but by the time he’d got from his home in East Road to Norton library he had collapsed and died.”

Sophy said the family had been left in limbo following her brother’s death as little is known about SADS.

“It was such a shock to us all because it was so sudden,” she said.

“One minute I was at my desk planning what I was going to do at the weekend and the next, my mum was on the phone telling me to get to the hospital because David was ill.

“By the time I’d got my coat on to leave work to go to see him, he had gone.”

Sophy said just before Christmas one of David’s friends from Keele University, Steven Lewis, had decided to take part in a fun run to raise funds for SADS.

“It was really hard for us all at that time of year but after Christmas, other members of thefamily, including me and David’s other four sisters, decided to get involved and it all just snowballed from there,” she said.

“We went to Keele and met up with some of David’s friends for the fun run which had a theme of Sonic the Hedgehog as this was David’s favourite thing in the world since being a little boy.”

Sophy said the route had taken them from David’s house during his second year of study to Hawthorns F Block at Keele University where he lived during his first year.

“We were really proud of each other as none of us are Jessica Ennis and it was a real challenge,” she said.

“It was also quite emotional as well, as all of us had travelled down to stay with him at some point while he was at university. The last time I was there was for his graduation.”

Sophy said they had so far managed to raise £2,000 for SADS UK, the charity which funds research into the condition.

“We all felt a sense of achievement and we certainly weren’t expecting to raise that much money,” she said.

“It has given us all something to focus on in memory of David as well as raising awareness about SADS.”

Anyone who would like to make a donation should visit www.justgiving.com/StevieandHelly