Cardiac screening on Teesside detects heart defect

A screening session on Teesside has given a young person the chance to have a hidden heart defect treated.

The session, set up by Maralyn and Kenny Bowen of Redcar, screened 38 young people for possible heart problems.

The Bowen’s’ son Ian died in 1996 from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome – a rare heart defect that prior screening could have picked up.

As a tribute to Ian, his parents have now held three Redcar screening sessions for 14-35 year olds in conjunction with national charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

At the latest, held in the United Reformed Church last month, a possible problem was picked up with one of the 38 young people screened.

It means that young person can now be referred to a specialist, be examined and, hopefully, have any heart effect properly diagnosed and treated.

It brings to eight the number of young people who have had possible problems detected by the Bowen’s@ screening sessions – four were picked up in 2000, with three discovered in 2002.

It’s a chance the Bowen’s never had – and one they are determined to keep giving to young people on Teesside.

Mrs Bowen said: “I would imagine they’d feel quite shocked getting the news something has been found, but at least it has been detected and they can get something done about it. It could have gone undetected for years.

“Ian was only 19. If problems are detected early enough, they have a chance to get themselves sorted out. The screenings have proved their worth and, hopefully, we’ll do another next year.”

Each session costs several thousand pounds to stage, with a team of specialists travelling up from St George’s Hospital in London to operate the equipment.

The Bowen’s, who constantly fundraise for CRY and won a Gazette Community Champion award last year, think children should be screened at school, possibly as part of a medical before they leave.

Maralyn and Kenny's fundraising and campaigning with CRY was recently recognised with a Champion for Youth award in the Community Champions Awards 2002.

CRY is campaigning for all children to be screened for cardiac problems before they leave school. The charity also offers support to families who have suffered a loss of a young person and young people diagnosed with cardiac conditions.