Lauren wants to save other families from devastation

Frequent jogger Matthew Thompson (39) was unaware that he had an underlying heart condition and collapsed on the Towpath while on a run on Saturday afternoon.

His partner Lauren McCaughtry (28) was waiting for him at their Lisburn home when police arrived to inform her of Matthew’s death.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, she said: “It was really sudden. He had never had any symptoms and had never complained of any issues. No one could have known. He was a young guy and he never went to the doctors. It’s one of those things that just happens.”

The pair met four years ago when they worked in Marks and Spencer at Sprucefield. Lauren described Matthew as her ‘absolute soulmate’ and says the pair created a ‘lifetime of memories’ in a short space of time.

Now she wants to ‘do something good’ in his memory.

By Wednesday, Lauren’s Crowdfunding page had raised over £3,600, while Marks and Spencer have also pledged to support the campaign by raising funds to install defibrillators in every store in Northern Ireland in Matthew’s memory.

You can donate by searching for Lauren McCaughtry on crowdfunding.justgiving.com.

“It’s such a great way to remember him,” Lauren added.