Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) were delighted to welcome newest patron David Walliams to open their Annual Parliamentary Reception yesterday evening. The Little Britain comedian, having just completed his fantastic channel swim in just over 10 hours, attended the event to raise awareness of CRY’s work in preventing Sudden Cardiac Death.

John Grogan, MP for Selby spoke out at the reception in support of CRY: “The bleak reality that eight young people a week die a Sudden Cardiac Death is simply unacceptable.”

The event was hosted by Dari Taylor MP, Dr Vincent Cable MP and Tim Loughton MP, and is a key event in CRY’s Raising Awareness Week. During the evening CRY revealed a fantastic new initiative that was made possible due to some very successful fundraising events by CRY patron Simon Halliday. CRY will be providing a 3-year grant of £180,000 to fund research by Dr Sheppard, an expert cardiac pathologist, who specialises in Sudden Cardiac Death Syndrome (SCD). These funds will allow her to gain access to 700 hearts that have been retained for indications of Sudden Cardiac Death, which is often undetected during a post mortem.

John Grogan went on to comment: “It is vital that we support CRY’s campaign to raise awareness and introduce initiatives such as Dr Sheppard’s research to help prevent the heartbreak which the families of these young people have to endure.”

Yesterday evening’s event, sponsored by Phillips Medical Systems, celebrated the achievements of CRY whilst simultaneously raising awareness of Young Sudden Cardiac Death. This includes a range of conditions that is estimated to kill more than eight young people a week in the UK. David Walliams’s support served to highlight the importance of CRY’s work and the difference funding can make in aiding research to prevent SCD.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Charmaine Colvin or Jonathan Wagstaff at redheadPR on Tel: 0870 240 5536 or email jonathan@redheadpr.co.uk or charmaine@redheadpr.co.uk

Notes to editors:

• CRY is a charity founded in May 1995 to raise awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young - Sudden Cardiac Death, Sudden Death Syndrome (SADS)

• CRY offers support to those who have suffered a loss through a network of affected families & counselling

• CRY promotes heart screening, ECG Testing Programmes & contributes to medical research

• CRY donates medical equipment to doctors' surgeries and hospitals. To date CRY has donated over £600,000 of cardiac equipment for use in GP surgeries, Cardiac Wards and A&E Departments

• CRY funds the CRY Centre for Sports Cardiology at the Olympic Medical Institute