|
Gower MP Martin
Caton is backing the growing call for better screening for young people
who may have hidden heart defects.
He is supporting
the Private Member’s Bill just introduced in Parliament by Stockton
South MP, Dari Taylor, to improve screening for young people most at risk
of cardiac death.
He said, “I
have been aware of the fact that Sudden Cardiac Death takes the lives of
eight young people every week in this country since I met my constitute,
Paulette Smith, the local representative of CRY (Cardiac Risk in the
Young), the organisation dedicated to campaigning on this issue.
She told me of
her own experience of losing her son suddenly and tragically to an
undiagnosed heart condition. The
terrible anguish that she and her husband suffered is, sadly, being
repeated up and down the country on a daily basis.
“Dari
Taylor’s Bill, which is backed by CRY, will provide effective, automatic
screening for high risk groups. “It
will improve both the quality of that screening and access to it for those
most at risk, for instance people with specific signs and symptoms and
genetic relatives of people who have died from specific syndromes.”
He added, “If
we can secure this piece of legislation it will be an important step in
the right direction and reduce the number of families suffering the
devastating loss of a young member.
“I intend to
be in the House of Commons for the Second Reading, if possible speak in
support of this Bill and do anything else I can to facilitate its progress
through Parliament.”
Paulette’s
son, Christian, died suddenly, aged just 24, from Myocarditis.
The Clydach
family had not idea there was anything wrong with his heart.
In November the
syndrome struck in West Wales, when nine-year-old Jonathan Thomas, of
Cefneithin, also died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Both Paulette
and Jonathan’s mum, Mandy Thomas, are urging Evening Post readers to
write to their MP’s, calling on them to join Martin Caton and support
the Bill.
It
had its First Reading last week and will be debated at is Second Reading
on 12 March. It will
establish an automatic right to screening for all those diagnosed with the
symptoms. It will also
enhance the screening process – amore detailed screening would be
required including a comprehensive family history and expert
interpretation of ECG and Echo.
|
