A reception was held in the Boardroom of St George's Hospital, Tooting on 28th April to launch CRY clinics for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease & Sports Cardiology and a unique CRY/ICAP clinic offering free screening to 14-year-olds in the South East.

The purpose of the launch was to raise awareness of these clinics run under Sanjay Sharma, newly appointed Professor of Cardiology at St George's.  He is going to run an investigation clinic exclusively for sudden death conditions to include sports cardiology and CRY's community screening programme, believed to the only clinic in the world addressing all aspects of screening for life-threatening conditions in young people. 

Alison Cox MBE, CRY Founder & Chief Executive, thanked all for attending.  Over 150 people were present including Patrons, CRY families and screening staff, leading consultant cardiologists and key hospital personnel.  The wonderful speakers included Professor John Camm, BHF Professor of Clinical Cardiology & Vascular Sciences at St George's University, then Sanjay Sharma, who had been presented with a cheque for £750,000 from CRY towards his clinic and screening programme.  Already a very busy man he still finds time to be Medical Director of the Virgin London Marathon. 

A brief talk from James Brown, whose young wife died suddenly with no previous warnings during a 10k run, made the importance of screening very real.  The Patrons attending were then introduced - Jeremy Bates, Pat Jennings, Nick Easter, Simon Halliday and Matt Wells, all very well known sporting celebrities who outlined their involvement in CRY. 

I left thinking I must persuade my children to be screened, especially after talking to CRY families who had lost children at the ages of 25 & 28 during sporting events.  They are now bravely supporting CRY to prevent other families having to suffer the same loss. 

CRY is going from strength to strength and will soon celebrate their 15th Anniversary.