Prenton family help launch heart campaign (From Wirral Globe)

Prenton family help launch heart campaign

12:01pm Tuesday 31st March 2009

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A FAMILY from Prenton is helping to launch a major regional campaign across the North West to highlight shocking new statistics that show the number of young people who lose their lives to the tragic condition sudden cardiac death now stands at 12 every week.

Cardiac Risk in the Young’s (CRY) latest pioneering cardiac screening clinic for the North West will be officially opened at the event next month by Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport.

He became one of the first members of the Cardiac Risk in the Young All Party Parliamentary Group when he was still a backbencher.

A poster-sized version of an emotive new postcard featuring the photos of 12 young people from the North West region who lost their lives suddenly to previously undetected heart conditions will be unveiled at the poignant ceremony.

The campaign was recently relaunched at a national event at Westminster, supported by the charity’s latest patron, James Cracknell OBE.

Over the past five years, around 100,000 postcards have been requested by CRY families to raise awareness and lobby support Prenton's Poynton family became involved with the charity in 2005 after their son, James, died tragically from an undiagnosed heart condition whilst on a family outing to the seaside.

James was an active young boy and was a keen cyclist and horse rider and had been undergoing investigations at the time of his death.

He was aged just 11 when he died.

It is now widely accepted that screening saves lives.

CRY is committed to encouraging greater access to our cardiac testing for all groups and individuals to detect conditions that might otherwise go undiagnosed.

At the event, CRY will also pay tribute to the Gwyneth Forresters Trust which has made a donation of £50,000 for screening to be carried out at a number of universities throughout the UK, enabling all Talent ID scholarship athletes to be tested.

Chief executive and founder of the charity, Alison Cox, said: "We feel – as the recorded incidence of sudden cardiac death rises – it is time to re-launch this powerful campaign in the North West to emphasise the importance of screening and that so many of these tragic cases affecting fit and healthy young people could have been prevented.

"Our screening clinic in the North West will provide an essential and regular service for any young person wanting to be tested.

"This important clinic is an essential part of the expansion of our screening service throughout the UK."

She added: "We need to keep up the pressure and engage support from as many MPs as possible to make sure we can prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies.

"We already have strong support from MPs in the North West region – many of whom have been deeply moved by a death of a young person in their constituency and have pledged to support our ongoing work and awareness raising activity."

This month, hundreds of postcards will be distributed by CRY families and supporters to people across the North West urging them to send it back to their local MP.

It is hoped the influx of postcards will encourage MPs to add their support to the campaign and join the Cardiac Risk in the Young All Party Parliamentary Group.

New cards will be launched regularly over the next 18 months, portraying victims from 12 different regions across the UK.

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