|
The
postcard campaign is intended
to highlight shocking new statistics that show the number of young
people who lose their lives to the tragic condition sudden cardiac death
now stands at 12 every week – a staggering 50% rise on previous
estimates.*
*The
new figures are based on official statistics [ONS 2006] citing the cause
of sudden death among people aged 35 and under.
|
 |
A
poster-sized version of the emotive new postcard - featuring the
photos of 12 young people from the North East region who lost their
lives suddenly to previously undetected heart conditions – was
unveiled at the poignant ceremony.
Dr Roberta
Blackman-Woods MP (left) spoke at a lunch for CRY families prior to the launch,
and again at the launch itself - along with Kevan Jones MP, long-time
supporter of CRY and one-time Chair of the
Cardiac Risk in the Young All-Party Parliamentary Group.
CRY
supporter Kenny Bowen also spoke at the lunch (below).
|
The symbolic
campaign (which first started in 2004 to promote the fact that 8 young
deaths were, at the time, estimated every week), was recently
re-launched at a national event at Westminster, supported by the
charity’s latest Patron, James Cracknell OBE. Over the
past 5 years, around 100,000 postcards have been requested by CRY
families to raise awareness and lobby support.
|
It is now widely accepted that screening
saves lives. CRY is committed to encouraging greater access to cardiac
testing for all groups and individuals (but especially those involved in
sport at ‘grass-roots' level) to detect conditions that might otherwise
go undiagnosed.
The launch of the North East postcard was held in tandem
with the launch of the CRY Philips Test My
Heart Tour 09 - a mobile screening tour which intends to offer free
heart tests to 3000 young people aged 14 to 35.
|
 |
Throughout
2009, hundreds of postcards will be distributed by CRY families and
supporters to people across the North West urging them to send it back
to their local MP. It is hoped the influx of postcards will encourage
MPs to add their support to the campaign and join the Cardiac Risk in
the Young All Party Parliamentary Group.
New
postcards will be launched regularly over the course of the year, portraying
victims from 12 different regions across the UK.
Click
here for more photos from the launch
|
