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A mum whose son died of a rare condition has launched an appeal for a
heart screening service to be introduced into schools.
Raechel Edwards' son Alexander collapsed while playing cricket at
Cheltenham College Junior School after suffering a heart attack.
The 12 year old died a week later in hospital from a rare heart
condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.
Mrs Edwards, from Charlton Kings, believes a screening programme
which detects heart abnormalities could have prevented her son's death.
She has written to Cheltenham College in the hope it will consider
paying for the screening programme for Alexander's former friends and
colleagues.
Mrs Edwards is campaigning on behalf of the charity Cardiac Risk in
Young People (CRY), which runs a mobile screening programme it wants the
government to subsidise to operate in schools.
At the moment schools which want to use the service have to pay for
it. Mrs Edwards said: 'A lot of Alexander's friends and colleagues
suffered severe psychological problems after seeing what happened to Alexander. It would help if we could get them screened and hopefully
find nothing wrong with them.
'CRY is trying to get the government to fund the screening programme
but at the moment it has said it won't.
'If Alexander's condition had been picked up he could still be with us
today.'
Mrs Edwards believes screening is vital to families who
have lost a
young person through a sudden cardiac death because a recent research indicates it may be hereditary.
Mrs Edwards and her husband Peter have another son Philip, who is 20
months old.
The couple set up the Alexander Edwards Appeal in memory of their
son.
They have already raised £20,000, which was spilt equally between Cheltenham
General and Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital to go towards pediatric intensive care equipment. Alexander was treated at
both hospitals before he died three years ago.
The couple are holding a table top sale at the Exmouth Arms in Bath
Road, Cheltenham, on Saturday September 23 at 10am.
They also want help form people willing to hold event on their
behalf. Anyone interested should phone the Echo newsdesk on 01242 271
823.
CRY also offers help, support and counselling to families like the
Edwards. For more information phone them on 01372 276187.
With permission from Echo
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