DETERMINED family members have raised nearly £20,000 for a heart charity after a 25-year-old woman died suddenly in her sleep earlier this year.

Amy Osborne, of Bedale, died from an undiagnosed heart condition on January 14.

Now her aunt, Mel Gooder, who lives in Scagglethorpe, plus a team of other relatives, have been raising money for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

Ms Gooder said: “She was only 25 and had never been ill. There were no signs. It came totally out of the blue. We were completely devastated as a family. Six hundred people came to her funeral in Bedale and we were overwhelmed by the support from all those who knew and loved her.

“We also received tremendous support from CRY, who help families who have lost a young person through sudden death caused by an undiagnosed heart condition, and also provide cardiac screening throughout the UK for young adults in the hope that sudden, unexplained deaths like Amy’s can be prevented.

“Back in April I decided that I wanted to support CRY, giving them something back in memory of Amy.”

Ms Gooder, alongside her sister-in-law Miranda Osborne (Amy’s mum), son Nick Dufton, Amy’s godmothers Lucy Procter and Suzy Mewburn and close family friend Jacquie Pern, tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks on a recent wet and blustery weekend.

“None of us had ever attempted anything like this, it was completely out of our comfort zones and the training over the summer had been, to put it mildly, rather haphazard,” said Ms Gooder.

“But there was no turning back and we were spurred on by the messages of support we’d had, so we battled on despite the inclement weather, all making it down safely, drenched to the skin but elated with a tremendous sense of achievement.”

Ryedale MP Kevin Hollinrake, who Ms Gooder works with, said: “I am sure that Amy is looking down on Melanie and family with such happiness and pride.”

To find out more and donate, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/someonespecial/amyosborne.