TEN years after their 28-year-old daughter died from deep vein thrombosis, a Newport couple said they have never had the apology they wanted for her death.

Emma Christoffersen, who was engaged to her partner Tim Stuart, had spent a three week holiday in Australia sky diving and white water rafting.

But she collapsed after landing at Heathrow Airport on September 30, 2000, and was pronounced dead.

Her death attracted worldwide media attention and sparked a campaign by Miss Christoffersen’s parents for airlines to do more to raise people's awareness of the potentially fatal condition.

Ruth and John Christoffersen, of Waltwood Road, Underwood, battled with the High Court for airlines with whom Emma had flown with to take responsibility for their daughter's death.

With the help of the Aviation Health Institute, the couple set up Victims of Air Related DVT Association (VARDA) to raise awareness and said it helped with their grief.

Mrs Christoffersen, 64, said: “With Emma it was an unnecessary death and it could have been avoided.”

The couple took their campaign to the High Court.

Mr Christoffersen, 67, said: “We wanted the recognition that airplane companies had known of the problem and were going to do something to try and stop it but they never will. As long as people fly, there will always be DVT.”

The couple's claim was thrown out and this was upheld by the House of Lords in 2005 leaving them devastated.

But Mrs Christoffersen said: “We never thought it was a waste of time because people were contacting us from different countries and we knew we were saving lives.”

They said this has allowed them to get some kind of justice for their daughter’s death because more people know about DVT.

Mr Christoffersen said ten years on they are now worried people are beginning to forget and want to get their message across to a new generation of holidaymakers.

Mrs Christoffersen added: “We did all we could for Emma but doing what we’ve done has made her name live on. All we have ever wanted to do was to save lives."

Mr Christoffersen said: “Companies ought to make people aware of DVT and the precautions they should take but do it in plenty of time before they fly.”

The couple said people should check their family history, be checked by their GP before they fly and drink plenty of water.

The family are now planning a memorial service later in the year.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Parents still waiting for apology

WE have every sympathy with the parents of Emma Christoffersen who this year mark the tenth anniversary of her death from a deep vein thrombosis.

Her tragic case brought the issue of DVT to the public eye.

Miss Christoffersen was 28 when she died.

She had been on a long haul flight from Australia and collapsed when she reached Heathrow, dying later in hospital.

Until Emma’s death, few had heard or were aware that DVT existed.

It took her story to propel the issue into the public arena and make people aware that this condition could exist.

In short, it changed the way we all treated long-haul travel and forced the airline industry to warn of the risks and tell passengers what measures they could take to avoid DVT.

Her death helped save lives.

And through all this no airline has ever admitted responsibility for Ms Christoffersen’s death, leaving her parents unable to sue anyone for negligence despite numerous efforts.

Ruth and John Christoffersen tell us today that it is the lack of apology that has angered them since their daughter’s death.

And they have every right to be angry.

Miss Christoffersen’s death may have been avoided if airlines had made people aware of the risks earlier.

To simply sweep this issue under the carpet is an insult to her memory.