A schoolgirl has become one of the first people in the country to be fitted with a special monitor which keeps tabs on the beating of her heart.

Nine-year-old Samantha Peyton, of Browfield View, near Fell Lane, has suffered from mysterious blackouts since the age of 18 months. In May she was fitted with a Medtronic insertable loop to try and find the reason for the fainting fits.

Samantha's mother Sue, a classroom assistant at Calversyke Middle School, says the device constantly records her heart beat in five minute periods. If Samantha has one of her "funny do's", as her family call them, a separate activator is applied which ensures the data from the last five minutes is not erased. This stored data is then downloaded on to a computer to be analysed by doctors.

"It's amazing. When we go to the hospital and we get all her details on the screen it's incredible," says Sue.

The device was fitted by Dr Blackburn at Leeds General Infirmary last month, and can stay in Samantha's chest for up to 14 months. Since the operation Samantha, a pupil at St Joseph's School, has only had one blackout and is still waiting to hear what the doctors say. She is being monitored by doctors at both Airedale and LGI hospitals.

"We don't really know what's wrong with her. At one time doctors were saying it was fits but we still don't know," says Sue.

Samantha's first blackout occurred on a family holiday when she was a toddler, and they have carried on ever since.

Sue says nine times out of ten the attacks occur when she has been running. The blackouts usually last a couple of minutes, after which Samantha comes round feeling drowsy but none the worse.

"She might just have one a year, but recently it's been once every six to eight weeks, so the doctors suggested this," says Sue.

"I think she does get a bit fed up with me telling her not to run, but I just think that if she doesn't run there is less chance of it happening. We just want her to lead as normal a life as possible and if the monitor can be used to find out what's wrong then maybe she can," adds Sue.

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