We are now just over six month in to our support of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which became our corporate charity in September last year, when we pledged to raise £100,000 to help the organisation in the vital work it does to reduce the frequency of SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome).   

As highlighted in the last issue of Pure Genius, we got off to a fantastic start; donating an amazing £30,000 in the last few months of 2009. 

It's essential that we don't lose this momentum and that the great work so many of you are doing to help raise funds continues.  To help with this, there are lots of ways for you to get involved with fundraising for CRY throughout 2010; including monthly dress down days, and a variety of sponsored events coming up as follows:

May  BUPA 10k run, London - 31 May

June  Super Heroes 5k run, London - 13 June

July  CRY Bridges Walk, London - 18 July

September  Adidas Women's 5k run - 5 September

Great North Run, Newcastle - 19 September

Super Heroes 5k run, Manchester - 26 September

Run to the Beat Half Marathon, London - 26 September

October Royal Parks Half Marathon, London - 10 October

CRY Walk, Durham - October (date tbc)

Great South Run Half Marathon, Portsmouth - 24 October

December 5k Santa Run, Greenwich - 5 December

We will also once again be supporting CRY's 'Raising Awareness Week', which takes place this year between 9 and 17 October, with a variety of events. 

If you would like to get involved in any of these events, would like more information or have any fundraising ideas of your own that we can support you with, please contact Holly Sims (hsims@calor.co.uk) or Sharan Kandola (skandola@calor.co.uk)

Calor's Gift of the Gas scheme will also run at all Calor Centres and larger Calor dealers throughout 2010.  For every unwanted Calor cylinder that is returned to a participating Calor outlet, we will donate £5 to CRY.  All Calor Centres should have received new promotional materials by now so please do encourage your customers to get involved.  Please return any completed Gift of the Gas forms to Sharan Kandola at Tackbrook Park. 

What will our £100,000 be used for? 

The £100,000 that we raise here at Calor will be used by CRY to fund a research fellow, through the CRY Research Fellowship Grants Scheme.  CRY research fellows are involved in cardiac screenings events; they work at specialist clinics located in two London hospitals; and they are academics who carry out research and publish their findings with the aim of furthering our understanding of why and how young people are affected by sudden cardiac illness.  Their role is extremely important and influential so the £100,000 we raise will make massive difference - both in the short-term and in the years to come once they go back into NHS practice. 

Learning more about Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS)

SADS is a devastating condition.  It can affect anyone at any time and the lack of understanding surrounding the condition means that often families are left with few answers as to why their loved one has passed away. 

To help you understand the devastating effect of SADS, with the kind permission of their families, we are able to share with you the cases of Neil Schuyleman and Pete Reynolds.  Neil and Pete both passed away suddenly and unexpectedly and initially without an explanation.  Thank you to their families who share with us here the memories of their loved ones. 

Neil 'Kymatic' Schuyleman: 

Our son, Neil, died suddenly and inexplicably on 9 April 2009 at the age of 34, just as life was beginning to come together for him.  He was happy - having met his soul mate, with whom he was contemplating marriage and children.  His enduring passion for music - mixing tracks, DJ'ing at clubs, starting a record label (Soul Motive) with two friends to promote the music they loved - was just beginning to bear fruit. 

Early on I found the CRY website, having followed up suggestions of possibly arrhythmia.  The initial post-mortem results and months of further testing found nothing wrong with him, resulting in 'unascertained'.  We were then able to avail ourselves of the generous help that CRY offers, sending samples to Dr Mary Sheppard at the Brompton Hospital.  We now expect the final death certificate to state Sudden Adult Death, and the immediate family (mother, father and two sisters) are in the process of being referred for screening.  This is another stepping stone to accepting and moving on in our lives.  No easy task. 

I cannot praise enough the support and compassion shown by Alison Cox in taking time to talk to me on the phone or email me, when I can see how busy she must be.  Thank you CRY. 

Pete Reynolds:

Pete died suddenly on 13 October 2004.  The shock and despair his family, girlfriend and close friends feel cannot be expressed fully in words.

Pete was an outgoing and lively 27 year old who lived his life to the full.  He was a 'natural' at most sports and extremely fit.  A black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he also played football and was a regular at the gym where he thoroughly enjoyed weight lifting.  In 2003 he completed the Stroud half marathon and also came third in the Tae Kwon Do British Championships held up in Birmingham.  There was no sport Pete didn't enjoy and had recently become skilled at snowboarding and climbing. 

We found out about CRY shortly after Pete died, and read about all of the other young lives that have been lost in such a similar way.  The contact we have received from the team has helped us to stay sane.  We will never be able to bring him back, but we can hopefully help to save others by making them more aware of SADS, working with CRY and helping to get the correct procedures in place for such deaths.