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The grants were awarded in a short but
moving ceremony within the CRY Centre for Inherited
Cardiovascular Conditions and Sports Cardiology at St George’s
NHS Healthcare Trust, South London.
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Sarah Hinchliffe presents the
award to Dr Hari Raju |
Sarah Hinchliffe presents the
award to Dr Michael Papadakis |
Pete
Hinchliffe, who worked as a personal trainer, died suddenly in 2010
whilst out cycling, from a previously undiagnosed condition known as
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC). He was aged 33
and tragically died just 6 months after his marriage to Rebecca. Pete,
from Balby, was an extremely fit man who had been a semi-professional
road cyclist, competing on a local and national level.
Following his death, Pete’s family became
involved with CRY, helping to raise funds to support its vital work as
well as awareness of sudden cardiac death among young people.
Pete’s sister, Sarah, says; “We were
determined to do something positive after Pete died and to ensure that
his memory continued to live on. He was such a positive person, always
the life and soul of the party and loved and liked by so many.
“He’d have wanted us all to turn this
situation into something that could go on to help others, so we’ve
worked hard to set up this new travel award, as well as other events
such an annual bike ride and trophy, both named after him.”
Both Sarah and their brother, Rob, were
screened to check
they were not also at risk of an hereditary and underlying heart
condition – a message that CRY is always keen to promote among parents,
siblings and children, immediately after the sudden death of a young
person. Thankfully, both were found to be clear and Sarah went on to run
the London Marathon in aid of the charity, wearing a large CRY Heart
Costume.
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12 young people die every week in
the UK from sudden cardiac death, although this is widely
believed to be a conservative estimate.
80% of the young people who die from
these tragedies have had no symptoms and it is only through
screening that the condition can be identified. However, further
research
into those young people who are at greater risk from these
devastating conditions is also vital.
Chief Executive and founder of CRY,
Alison Cox MBE adds; “As well as screening, research plays a
critical role in helping to better understand and treat these
conditions that cause young sudden cardiac death.
"We
are very grateful to the Hinchliffe family for establishing this
new, annual grant and for awarding it to two of our finest
research fellows this year. It is a terrific tribute to Pete and
will facilitate our UK researchers sharing information and key
findings on the international stage.” |
Sarah Hinchliffe and Alison Cox
MBE |
Left to right:
Dr Robert Hinchliffe, Sarah Hinchliffe, Dr
Michael Papadakis, Susan Hinchliffe, Dr Hari Raju, Dr Rob Hinchliffe
Dr Elijah Behr and Professor Sanjay Sharma |
