The
University of Ulster has teamed up with CRY to launch the first
independently funded heart-screening clinic in Northern Ireland.
CRY will offer a screening service based at the UU Clinic in the
Jordanstown campus. Final-year Clinical Physiology students will have
the opportunity to carry out the screenings after initial training from
CRY representatives.
The new service was officially launched on Wednesday 1st November by
patron and former Ireland and Ulster rugby star Gary Longwell.
There are sometimes no symptoms for SADS, and symptoms that do occur
often go unrecognised because the young person appears fit and healthy.
With a simple Electrocardiogram (ECG), and diagnosis by an expert
consultant cardiologist, many heart conditions can be detected. Despite
this, heart screening for young people is not compulsory, and it is
often not until a tragedy takes place in a family that the true extent
of the problem is known.
With the help of the CRY Northern Ireland representative John Lundy, who
tragically lost his son Aaron to a heart condition at the age of 19, CRY
is launching its Northern Ireland base with the backing of some of
Ireland’s most famous faces.
 Patrons
include former Ireland and Ulster rugby player Gary Longwell, Pat
Jennings, who gained 119 caps for Northern Ireland as their goalkeeper,
as well as playing for English clubs Arsenal and Tottenham and BBC
presenter Mark Carruthers.
CRY Chief Executive and founder, Alison Cox, said:
“We are delighted to be extending the CRY
network through a new screening clinic in Northern Ireland. It is based
on the same protocol as the
CRY Centre for Sports Cardiology at the Olympic Medical Institute
and will offer screening for elite athletes and a separate subsidised
clinic for the 35’s and under. It is critical to give everyone access to
screening, and work towards increasing awareness and knowledge of
conditions that kill young people every day.”
John
Lundy from CRY NI added:
“Opening such a facility in Northern Ireland
is another step in the right direction in the fight against young sudden
cardiac death. We hope to continue to raise awareness in Northern
Ireland and bring together
those affected to provide support and help people who have been through
the same pain of loss as myself.”
John Carruthers, UU Clinic Manager said:
“We
are pleased to be able to assist CRY in setting up this screening
initiative in Northern Ireland which young people will be able
to access. We are all aware of the some of the tragic deaths that have
occurred in Northern Ireland and through this screening service will be
able to detect potential heart problems and help prevent more deaths
occurring. Once established students from Clinical Physiology will
provide the screening service in the Clinic.” |
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Audio Speeches
from the Launch
Professor Bill Clarke Provost of the Jordanstown and Belfast campuses of
the UU
Alison Cox
Opening Speech
Ian McCall
Caroline Gard
Dr
Sanjay
Sharma
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Alison Cox
Closing Speech |
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