Fundraising event held in memory of Zoe

The family of Zoe Teale, from Cheslyn Hay, held the memorial event to raise money for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) after Zoe, who was a fitness instructor in Wednesbury, died in her sleep of an undiagnosed heart condition.

The event in the village hall in Cheslyn Hay featured a projection of a compilation of photos of Zoe, and copies of the projection were sold on disc to raise funds, along with a raffle drawn by former Aston Villa player Gary Thompson.

A group of her close friends, and her sister, Meghan, 22, spent weeks learning a dance routine to two songs, which they performed on the night – for which tickets sold out – in tribute to Zoe's love of dance.

Her mother, Julie, 47, said: "We were unaware of Zoe's heart condition until after her death, she had no signs of illness, no past history of any symptoms and there was no history of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in either of our families.

"Zoe was fit and healthy, she was a fitness instructor and the last person you would have thought this would happen to.

"We were devastated to find out after her death that it may have been prevented if the condition had been detected with a simple electro-cardiogram scan."

She said the money raised on Saturday would go towards helping the charity hold events allowing young people to have ECG scans and screen them for heart conditions. Details of the final total raised are not yet available.

She added: "A hundred and twenty young people can be screened at each session so it would help to save many lives and prevent other families going through the same devastation."

The event also included a donated buffet and a live solo acoustic performance.

The family have set up a fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/zoe-means-life in an effort to raise £50,000 for the charity.

Zoe, a fitness instructor for Fitness First in Wednesbury, who helped fundraise for the British Heart Foundation, was unaware she was suffering from an undiagnosed heart defect that would ultimately take her life on September 15. The popular former Bilston Swimming Club member died within a short time of going to bed after sharing a laugh and a joke with her father Peter, 48.

The Express & Star reported her fundraising activities for the foundation, including combat workouts and a glow-in-the-dark aerobics class in April and June this year.