Cry screening, organised by North Wales representative Doreen Harley, left, took place at the Beaufort Park Hotel.  Also there were Dr Jayesh Makan, cardiologist; David Oxborough, ECHO technician; Adele Oxborough, ECG technician; Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside and Tony Hill from CRY

It was funded by the H. J. Heinz Charitable Trust in memory of Mrs Harley’s daughter, Lisa Jane Browne, 27 who died in January 1998 of Sudden Death Syndrome.

Since then Mrs Harley has campaigned tirelessly to hold screening sessions in North Wales to try to save lives.

And she has proved that screening can help, including within her own family.

Doreen and her husband Terry were both screened and it was discovered that Terry also has Long QT Syndrome, the condition responsible for Lisa’s death.

The couple’s other daughter, Rachel Willn, and grandchildren Jack and Adam, have also been screened and both Rachel and Jack have been diagnosed as having Long QT Syndrome, with DNA results still not yet available for Adam.

Rachel was fitted with an ICD/Pacemaker last year which saved her life when Adam woke up screaming one night.  The ICD kick-started Rachel’s heart back into rhythm.

Last Saturday, the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) of which Mrs Harley is divisional representative, held its second North Wales mobile cardiac-screening event at the Beaufort Park Hotel, near Mold.

The screening team was headed by cardiologist Dr Jayesh Makan and 40 people from Flintshire, Chester and Wrexham between the ages of 14 and 35 attended the session.

Mrs Harley said: “Each had an ECG tracing to look at the electrical system of the heart, an ECHO ultrasound to look at the muscle and heart flow within the heart and a consultation with the cardiologist.”

She said all those attending the session will all receive the results of the tests within three weeks, and anyone with an abnormality will be offered further investigations at a hospital. 

Mrs Harley thanked all those who had helped make the day a success, including Adrian Barsby at the Beaufort Park Hotel, who donated the venue for the day.

She said: “It was a really successful day.”

Mrs Harley said the CRY screening day was also host to mascots, who are raising awareness across the globe of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young. 

Currently each country has its own methodology of identifying cause of death .  Cause of death in the UK alone has several titles and campaigners want one single definition.