PARENTS Joanne and Stuart Priestnall are raising awareness of a potentially fatal condition so other parents don’t have to suffer the same ‘living nightmare’ they are enduring.

Gregory Priestnall, a popular and successful sixth former at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, died in April at the age of 17.

The Plumley teenager, the Priestnalls’ only child, had persistent basal pneumonia, and was found dead at his friend’s home by Joanne, who tried to save her son’s life by performing CPR.

Joanne said Gregory had had a virus during February into March, which turned into a cough.

At the end of March he had been prescribed antibiotics after he spoke to his surgery over the phone about suffering from cold-like symptoms for a number of weeks.

Joanne said he completed the course of medication, and didn’t subsequently complain of feeling unwell.

At 9am on April 9 Joanne had gone to pick Gregory up from his best friend’s house, where sometime between then and 3am he had gone to the toilet and collapsed.

“I found Gregory, with his friends, and did CPR on him with the help of the 999 service’s advice until the ambulance arrived,” said Joanne.

“The paramedics took over and rushed him to hospital. He was unresponsive – I realise now he had been dead for a while when we found him.

“A few weeks ago we found out the cause of Gregory’s death. He had persistent basal pneumonia, a settling in the lower part of the lungs of bacterial pneumonia.

“We went to see the pathologist, as we were shocked such a big, strapping six-foot young man, eating and drinking normally, not complaining of anything, can walk out of the house at 6.30 the evening before and collapse in the early hours.

“Greg got up in the early hours, went to the toilet, and suffered a haemorrhalgic pulmonary oedema – his lungs filled with liquid to the point where he could not take any air in – collapsed and died.”

Joanne said had her family known about the potentially fatal consequences of Gregory’s condition they would have ensured he was seen face to face by a doctor.

“Also, after the course of antibiotics we would have had him back at the doctors to have his chest listened to, to ensure the infection had cleared up,” she said.

“I want to make parents aware that children and young adults do not always present symptoms, to ensure they see a doctor face to face initially and ensure the infection is cleared up after the course of antibiotics by going back for a second appointment and not presume it has, as their child is not presenting any symptoms.

“If through raising awareness we can help a family to not have to go through the living nightmare we now find ourselves in we will gain some comfort.

“Awareness is key. No parent should have to find their child collapsed and have to perform CPR on them.

“Gregory would have been 18 on June 24 - he was looking forward to his 18th birthday party, had his driving test booked in the same week he died and my old car sat on the drive ready for him to have.

“He had a holiday booked and paid for by himself going around Europe with his friends. He was ready to sit his A levels, and had already achieved an A-star at EPQ on stem cells."

An annual science award is to be presented at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School in Gregory’s name, and more than £1,800 has been raised to fund the award.

The school is also looking at installing a bench in the sixth form area in Gregory’s memory, and any additional funds raised are set to go towards a charity to be agreed between Gregory’s family and the school.