The mother of an 18-year-old who nearly died twice from heart failure is urging people to check for symptoms and avoid her ordeal.

James Conboy, 18, of Elmwood Avenue, Borehamwood, was a healthy man who was preparing to go to university in September, but four weeks ago he began complaining about a pain in his stomach.

Four weeks ago he began complaining about a pain in his stomach and had to leave work one day because he felt ill.

The next morning after he first complained, Mr Conboy had to be rushed to Watford General Hospital, where he was pure white and his mother told him to go to the doctors where he was taken to Watford General Hospital and diagnosed with heart failure.

Statistics suggest only one in 150,000 is diagnosed with this despite it being one of the country’s biggest killers and Evelyn Conboy she is asking for more awareness of this condition.

Mrs Conboy said: “You hear a lot about meningitis and the symptoms but there needs to be more training on heart failure.

"If I had known earlier I would have taken him straight to hospital.

"I have two other sons who I am going to take to get checked just in case it is hereditary.

His mother Evelyn Conboy said: “He went downhill from there. His heart was not working.

"He was just getting weaker and weaker. On Tuesday he had an operation to put a LVAD machine which pumps his heart and repairs his body for the transplant.

“It is not the best quality of life. In four weeks he has gone from a healthy young man to relying on a machine.”

The LVAD is used to treat people with severe heart failure and is sometimes given to people on the waiting list for a heart transplant.

According to his mother James needs to keep using the LVAD machine for at least six months and then he will be able to go on the transplant list.

She added: “It is going to be a long road. He was meant to go to Ibiza with his friends this month but now he can’t.

“He did so well in his A-Levels and worked so hard.”

Two weeks ago James was taken into intensive care at Harefield Hospital, in Middlesex, following complications with the operation.

James was sedated for two weeks but this week he has pulled through and his mother described it as the worst two weeks of her life.

Mrs Conboy currently works at Morrisons in Borehamwood but since her son’s diagnosis she has been spending all her time looking after him.

Her colleague Claudette Hutt, the community champion for Morrisons, and other staff members have been working to raise money for James.

She said the team at the store have been fundraising and will be delivering a new laptop to James.