A mourning father has sent out a plea to other parents to protect their children from the dangers of playing computer games.
Blood clot victim, Chris Staniforth, 20, died after spending up to 12 hours at a time playing on his Xbox.
The gaming enthusiast suffered a blockage to his lungs when he developed deep vein thrombosis – commonly associated with passengers on long haul flights where they are relatively immobile for hours on end.
Xbox addict, 20, killed by blood clot after 12-hour gaming sessions
A mourning father has sent out a plea to other parents to protect their children from the dangers of playing computer games.
Blood clot victim, Chris Staniforth, 20, died after spending up to 12 hours at a time playing on his Xbox.
The gaming enthusiast suffered a blockage to his lungs when he developed deep vein thrombosis – commonly associated with passengers on long haul flights where they are relatively immobile for hours on end.
Avid gamer: Chris Staniforth died from a blood clot after sitting still for 12-hour sessions on his Xbox. He was passionate about computers posting this picture on his Myspace account three years ago
Avid gamer: Chris Staniforth died from a blood clot after sitting still for 12-hour sessions on his Xbox. He was passionate about computers posting this picture on his Myspace account three years ago
Chris’ heartbroken father, David told The Sun, ‘As a parent you think playing computer games can’t do them any harm because you know what they are doing.
‘Kids all over the country are playing these games for long periods - they don’t realise it could kill them.’
Chris, an avid player of popular games such as Halo collapsed after an interview at a JobCentre while telling a friend he’d been experiencing peculiar pains in his chest.
He explained how he was woken in the night by a ‘strange feeling’ in his chest and that his heart rate was incredibly low, although this returned to normal and he fell back to sleep.
During the conversation outside the JobCentre David explained the moment Chris started to suffer:
‘He dropped a packet of chewing gum and as he picked it up, he jolted back and began to spasm.’
Chris’ friend frantically called an ambulance but paramedics arriving on the scene failed to save him.
Yesterday, a coroner confirmed DVT as the cause of death despite the 20-year-old having no history of ill health or underlying medical conditions.
DVT is a blood clot that develops in one of the deep veins in the body usually occurring in the leg or lower torso. It causes pain and swelling which can lead to serious complications if the blood clot breaks off into the bloodstream.
No blame: Chris' dad David says he doesn't hold Microsoft, the manufacturer of Xbox, responsible for Chris' death
No blame: Chris' dad David says he doesn't hold Microsoft, the manufacturer of Xbox, responsible for Chris' death
If this happens, it can cause a fatal blockage to the lungs known as a pulmonary embolism.
DVT is usually a result of long periods of inactivity such as sitting on a long-haul flight although our increasingly sedentary lifestyles has lead to a rise in cases.
David, 54 of Sheffield explained how Chris would sit engrossed for hours in games where players battled against alien invasions.
‘Chris lived for his Xbox. When he got into a game he could play it for hours and hours on end, sometimes 12 hours in a stretch.’
The serious gamer would play people from all over the world and owned an entire range of consoles including a Playstation.
He had hoped to have a career in computers and was offered a place to study Game Design at Leicester University.
To prevent other parents from suffering the same pain as he is, David has launched a campaign to raise awareness about DVT and computer games.
He admits they are addictive once you start playing, but wants to highlight the dangers that can arise from this compulsive attitude.
David does not blame Microsoft, the manufacturer of Xbox, he simply does not want another child to die from playing on it for hours on end.
Microsoft recommends gamers allow time for breaks and exercise and to follow other pursuits.
Tragic loss: Before he collapsed outside a JobCentre, Chris was offered a place to study Game Design at Leicester University