THE family of tragic schoolboy David Harry have donated more than £16,000 to a charity investigating the disease that killed him.

David's mother Tracy Way, of New Earswick, said she would never get over his death, but hoped the cash would prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

The money, which was raised by relatives and David's former school friends, has been donated to Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which carries out research into heart defects.

The 15-year-old Joseph Rowntree School pupil was found dead in bed by Tracy, at their home in Lime Tree Avenue, in October, 2002, and the family have been fundraising ever since.

"We don't want to scare people, but they should be made aware that this could happen to anybody," she said.

"There was nothing wrong with David - he was a healthy young boy."

Tracy and other family members were in Hull today with the parents of Jamie Bucknell, a 14-year-old boy who also died from heart problems, for the launch of CRY's new postcard campaign.

Images of the young victims have been reprinted on the cards in the hope of raising awareness about the charity.

Tracy said she held a party at their home in October to mark what would have been David's 18th birthday.

The family made a birthday cake and released balloons on a nearby field and let off fireworks for his school friends.

"It doesn't get any easier," Tracy said.

"This year seems harder because he would have been 18.

"We want to do all we can to prevent this happening to anyone else."

Fundraising activities by Tracy's family have included competing in the London Marathon, raffles, pub collections, a golf day and a non-uniform day at Joseph Rowntree School.

Alison Cox, chief executive of CRY, said: "By showing just some of the faces behind the stories, we can help people begin to understand the heartbreak caused by this cruel killer.

"Successful campaigning for MP Dari Taylor's Cardiac Risk in the Young (Screening) Bill has resulted in a new chapter on Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death being added to the National Service Framework on Coronary Heart Disease.

"The aim of the postcard campaign is to make MPs aware of CRY and the new chapter and to ask them to support CRY's ongoing campaign by joining CRY's All Party Parliamentary Group, launched by our President, Ian Botham."

Updated: 10:44 Thursday, March 17, 2005