Jake Lawler was just 15 when he tragically died after collapsing during a school day at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale, Trafford, on 5 November last year. A month earlier, Jake had gone to Wythenshawe Hospital, complaining of shortness of breath during football, but what should have raised serious red flags was sadly brushed off, reported the Manchester Evening News.
An inquest has now heard that Jake had previously collapsed on a football pitch on 13 October 2024, a moment that, in hindsight, should have triggered immediate medical investigations. Instead, what happened next was a series of missed warnings and misdiagnoses.
Senior coroner for Manchester South, Alison Mutch, has issued a Prevention of Future Death report, making clear that Jake’s symptoms and test results were not properly addressed. Medical professionals diagnosed him with exercise-induced asthma, a condition he didn’t have.
The coroner explained that both Jake’s abnormal ECG and his collapse were key indicators of a serious cardiac condition, but neither was acted upon as they should have been. His father’s account of Jake’s medical history was also overlooked, and that vital information wasn’t properly assessed.
In a heartbreaking conclusion, the coroner said the combination of the abnormal ECG and the earlier collapse should have prompted an urgent inpatient paediatric review and further heart testing. Instead, when Jake was discharged, the ECG was wrongly marked as normal, which led to a misdiagnosis and a course of treatment that didn’t match the real issue.
Jake’s GP prescribed asthma medication which made no difference. Even a follow-up asthma test carried out five days after his collapse didn’t support the original diagnosis. The nurse who performed the test referred him back to a doctor, doubting that Jake actually had asthma at all.
Despite all these red flags, no further action was taken. Jake died just weeks later of biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition that affects the heart’s rhythm and structure.
The coroner’s report was blunt and deeply saddening: “It is probable that he would not have died on the day he did had the correct actions been taken. Jake’s collapse was incorrectly attributed to his exercise-induced asthma.”
The report outlined four major areas of concern aimed at stopping another tragedy like this from happening again. Top of the list was the mishandling of Jake’s ECG, which was a clear warning sign. The lack of national guidance on how to manage paediatric exercise-induced fainting was also flagged.
There was also a glaring issue with how Jake’s asthma was evaluated. The national scoring system used by GPs didn’t even take exercise-induced symptoms into account. Jake’s results painted a picture of well-controlled asthma, despite him still struggling to breathe during exercise. Resting peak flow readings gave doctors false reassurance. The coroner criticised the system for lacking curiosity and for not recognising the limits of such assessments.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Jake’s GP surgery have until 4 July to respond to the coroner’s report and outline what actions they’ll take.
Following Jake’s passing, his school said: “Our school community was absolutely devastated by the loss of one of our much loved and precious students, Jake Lawler, who recently passed away in tragic circumstances.”
They also encouraged donations to Jake’s memorial fund, set up to support CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), a charity working to raise awareness of sudden cardiac deaths in young people and support those affected.
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