This in from Sandown Bay Academy, in their own words. Ed
Students on the Isle of Wight are having their first free heart screenings, organised by the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) today and tomorrow (28th and 29th January).
200 young people, aged 14 – 18, are being screened at the Sandown Bay Academy in Sandown over the two days.
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY)
The screenings have been organised by Ryde resident Helen Barnes, who is a senior administrator at the school in conjunction with her cousin Claire Prosser, whose son Tom died suddenly from an undiagnosed heart problem aged 14 in 2007.
Helen has been fund-raising for CRY ever since, via the Tom Clabburn memorial fund, set up by Claire, her husband Paul and daughter Ellen. The fund has raised more than £70,000 and screened around 1,000 young people mainly in West London, where the family live.
Why Sandown Bay first?
Helen decided to arrange the first Isle of Wight screenings for the Academy because she felt that as a school with an excellent sporting reputation, Sandown would be an ideal venue to screen its students, many of whom are active in sport. CRY statistics say that at least 12 young people die suddenly of previously undetected heart problems each week in the UK. These young people are usually fit and active.
Helen said:
“I am really pleased that Sandown Bay Academy will be hosting the CRY screenings. Following my cousin Tom’s sudden death, I have become involved in raising awareness of the work of the charity CRY. The Academy students have worked hard to raise the £3500 needed to bring CRY to the Island and I am very grateful to Tom’s Fund for sponsoring us as well. I hope that this will encourage our students to take care of their heart and health.”
Claire said she was delighted to be involved.
“Helen has been very supportive to us following Tom’s death and we were keen to offer Tom’s Fund’s backing for this initiative. If the screenings pick up even one person for further tests then it will have been worthwhile.”
For more detail about the charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) visit their Website
Image: © Cardiac Risk in the Young
