CRY is delighted to announce that a new Charity Ambassador, Danny Lomas, is joining our team of “enthusiastic and loyal advocates, with a public profile” (all of whom have an unwavering commitment to raising awareness and shining a light on the importance of CRY’s work)
And, like many of CRY’s Ambassadors, Danny – a model and social media influencer, with an Instagram following over 162k – has a very personal connection to CRY following the sudden death of a close friend.
He told us; “In 2022 we lost a good friend Jono Stead to an undiagnosed heart condition. Since then, his family have been working with CRY to fundraise in my local town for screenings which flag abnormalities that could’ve ended tragically had they not been found. Since hearing about this, I wanted to work with CRY to raise money and awareness to be able to bring these screenings to a wider audience.”
Jono, from Driffield, Yorkshire, was just 27 when he died in his sleep from a cardiac condition known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) on 14 December 2022. Jono – described as popular, ambitious and sporty, with a passion for football – was a qualified accountant who had set up his own business, just 9 months before he died.
Following Jono’s tragic death, his family and friends became actively involved with CRY, helping to raise awareness about the charity’s work and ongoing mission to prevent the incidence of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) through research and its pioneering, nationwide screening programme. To date, their collective efforts have raised well over £60,000 and as a result have already held 4-days of cardiac screening, testing the hearts of around 400 young people from the local community (with more screening events hosted by Jono’s Memorial Fund, in the pipeline).
Dr Steven Cox, CRY’s Chief Executive, adds, “We’re thrilled that Danny has come on board to join our team of Ambassadors, helping us to reach out to new and engaged audiences in memory of his very good friend.
“Jono’s family and friends – led by his mum and dad, Dave and Karen – are committed fundraisers and have already achieved truly great things in terms of raising awareness across their local community, and beyond. Danny’s support will further Jono’s legacy through the influence of his social media platform – and the events he has already organised, such as the recent Quiz night. Thank you.
“Young sudden cardiac death is indiscriminate – it takes young people, at the prime of their lives from every community, age and friendship group and we have a responsibility to work hard to share our messages and important information about CRY’s work across all areas of society. We’re extremely grateful for Danny’s support and excited by its potential.”