FAMILY and friends choked back tears as they joined together for an emotional ceremony at a Shoebury school to unveil a plaque in memory of a boy who died suddenly in the playground.

The family of Ryan Heffernan-Surplice, 12, joined about 50 people at Shoebury High School for the ceremony, which included a balloon release and music.

Ryan died due to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome while at the Delaware Road school on March 28 last year.

His mum, Catherine Heffernan, said: “It was amazing and I wasn’t expecting so many people to come out for it.

“I was just breathless. It wasn’t until I saw the pictures that I realised how many were there.

“His friends also did a display in the window with Pokémon and Nintendo and other things they knew he liked.

“We had a funny moment where the speaker we had changed into a different language and I thought Ryan was playing with us. He would have been really laughing.

“We were trying to play Teenagers by My Chemical Romance and the speaker started talking in Mandarin as far as we know.

“It was emotional and I didn’t have it in me to speak and I knew I would start crying. I can’t believe it’s a year since I last give him a hug and kiss and said have a good day.

“It hurts my heart.”

Last June, hundreds of people turned out across Southend to attend Ryan’s funeral, with people lining the streets to create a guard of honour from Shoebury High School and along Delaware Road.

The funeral service at Southend Crematorium was attended by about 50 people, and 100 people attended the Salvation Army for a wake where a special video montage was shown.

A Shoebury High School spokesman said: “It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since Ryan’s passing, and it was a privilege to be part of the memorial organised by Ryan’s parents and family.

“The plaque on the tree will remain as a long-standing testament to Ryan’s life. It is always a tragedy for a young person to leave us so young, but he left an indelible mark on so many people and he will always be remembered.”