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Loose Women star Brenda Edwards has revealed she has ‘no strict plans’ for the upcoming one-year death anniversary of her son Jamal.
Edwards died aged 31 of a heart attack after using cocaine on February 20 2022, at his Acton home.
Brenda has since been continuing his legacy, including with the launch of SBTV, and has been inundated with support by fans as well as Edwards’ friends, including Ed Sheeran.
Speaking about his upcoming one-year death anniversary, Brenda – who is now working with Virgin Media O2 in partnership with the British Heart Foundation on a campaign which sees the rollout of defibrillators across the country and increased training in CPR – said: ‘The legacy has been going ever since Jamal passed away.
‘So, with the Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust, we are launching an apprenticeship programme with Centre Point where we give young person an opportunity to have an apprenticeship within the digital media industry as well as accredited learning courses as well.’
Chatting exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Brenda continued: ‘I don’t think there will ever be a celebration, but I will be upholding Jamal’s legacy as long as I’m got breath to do so.
Edwards died in February 2022 (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
‘I haven’t made any plans as such. I’m sure a lot of his friends will come around and see me so I’m kind of just leaving it a bit loose so that we can just do whatever we want to do, and not put too many strict plans on anything really.
‘But he’s never out of my mind and I’m never not thinking which is one of the other reasons why I’m really glad and honoured to be a part of this campaign because Jamal was all about giving back and helping others.
‘So that’s really what I want to just focus on is helping and giving back and trying to help others wherever I can. However I can.’
‘I will be upholding Jamal’s legacy as long as I’m got breath to do so,’ Brenda said (Picture: INSTAGRAM)
She added that Edwards ‘would be all over’ the campaign, saying ‘he would totally be for this’.
This comes after Brenda performed an emotional rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel with her Loose Women co-stars Coleen Nolan, Denise Welch, Judi Love, Linda Robson and Kelle Bryan for Britain Get Singing, dedicating the moment to Edwards.
Reflecting on the moment, she told us: ‘I try to remain positive no matter what is thrown at me.
Brenda is supporting Virgin Media O2’s campaign with British Heart Foundation to rollout defibrillators across the UK and increase CPR training
‘And no matter how much negativity, I think it’s very important to just remain as positive as you can and believe in yourself and have that self belief which was ultimately my son’s mantra.’
Speaking about the campaign, Brenda also told us: ‘My aim with this campaign is to spread the word out so that we can make people aware of where these defibrillators are because I think a lot of people are nervous about it.
‘And a lot of people probably haven’t had the training before because they didn’t know how to access it or maybe they thought it was they couldn’t afford it. But this is absolutely free.
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‘If you go to the British Heart Foundation website, you can do the training, a 15 minute training course free access, and if you’re an O2 to customer, you don’t use any data allowance whatsoever.
‘So there’s never been more of a time where you say there’s no excuse. But there is every reason to do it because just saving one life makes the world of difference.’
Brenda Edwards visits Virgin Media O2 as it partners with British Heart Foundation to rollout more than 200 defibrillators across O2 stores in the UK. From 19th Jan to 26th Jan, the business will be raising awareness and urging more people to learn CPR on screens outside O2 stores nationwide.
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Edwards died in February 2022.
