Walking in memory of Tom

Forty-five of Tom’s family, friends and former team-mates walked from his beloved Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium through the night to the club’s recent away game at Huddersfield Town.

Tom (14), who played for Wickersley Youth Junior Football Club, died suddenly of a rare heart condition at his home in July.

His death was the third tragedy to hit his mum Keira Hayden, who lost Tom’s dad Ryan suddenly at the age of 15.

Keira’s son, Joshua Donnelly, also died on Christmas Day in 2007 aged just 23 months.

The group raised more than £7,000 for charity SADS UK and completed the 24-mile trek over the Pennines in nine hours.

Tom’s mum Keira Hayden said: “It was fantastic - brutal - but it all went to plan.

“We raised around £7,000 from the walk and we’ve got around £10,000 for SADS in total.

“We’ll be putting it all to good use and we are hoping to install defibrillators around the area and pay for some youngsters to be screened.”

Keira said the family hoped to install one of the defibrillators outside Wickersley School.

Tom’s uncle Lewis Carder, who organised the walk, said he now hoped to hold a similar event to one of Sheffield Wednesday’s away games every year, in memory of Tom.

He said: “The walk was OK but the majority of it was uphill and that’s when it got to you.

“We did it in just over nine hours and left Hillsborough at midnight.”

Tom, a student of Wickersley School, had played football since the age of three.