New campaign highlights the young faces behind sudden cardiac death

On Thursday 15th July, MPs from all parties attended the national launch of a hard-hitting and thought-provoking new campaign to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in the young.  Kevan Jones MP, Chair of the APPG on Cardiac Risk in the Young, spoke at the launch, which was attended by more than 20 MPs.  Also there to support the launch were CRY patrons Mark Cox and Jeremy Bates. CRY unveiled a poster-sized version of a new postcard at the House of Commons – featuring the photos of 8 young (i.e. under the age of 35) people who lost their lives suddenly to previously undetected heart conditions.

All the eight victims pictured  - who came from the Birmingham and the Midlands regions - had no apparent symptoms or history of bad health. Yet it’s widely acknowledged that many of the hundreds of sudden deaths which occur every year in the UK could be prevented if simple cardiac screening was made more accessible.

Chief Executive and Founder of CRY, Alison Cox, said; “Today marks a real milestone in our ongoing campaign to raise awareness of sudden death in young people. By showing just some of the faces behind the stories we read and hear about all too often, we can help people begin to understand the heartbreak caused by this cruel killer and highlight the fact that it can happen to anyone, at anytime – usually without warning."

“Yet these eight faces – representing the eight lives lost a week in the UK – show just a snap-shot of the problem. We need to keep up the pressure and engage support from as many MPs as possible to make sure we can prevent other families from experiencing such tragic losses.”

This month, hundreds of postcards will be distributed by CRY supporters to people in the Midlands, urging them to send it back to their local MP. It is hoped the ‘flurry’ of postcards will encourage MPs to add their support to the campaign and join the charity’s All Party Parliamentary Group A new card will be launched every month, portraying victims from 12 different regions across the UK. CRY hope the impact of the cards will maintain the momentum set earlier this year when the Department of Health agreed to add a new chapter to the National Service Framework on Coronary Heart Disease, dedicated to deaths among young people.

CRY postcard - July 2004