CRY visits Bevin
August 2010
On Tuesday 29th June 2010, 70 students from Year 10 in Ernest Bevin College were offered free cardiac screening by the heart charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). As part of this event and to raise awareness and vital funds for CRY, hundreds of Bevin boys raised money for the charity with a series of 'swimathons'.
CRY was founded in May 1995 to raise awareness of Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS). As well as campaigning and lobbying and the provision of its subsidised cardiac screening programme for young people, the charity also provides counselling and support to bereaved families and individuals who may be diagnosed.
During the day, two intrepid young journalists (Adam Piekarski and Schlujaat Waraich) had the exciting opportunity to interview three key ambassadors for the charity: Professor Sanjay Sharma from St George's Hospital, Tooting; CRY's Chief Executive and Founder, Alison Cox MBE, and Olympic rowing medallist, Matt Wells.
Adam Piekarski (10EJ) and Schlujaat Waraich (7NW) write:
Sudden cardiac death in the young claims the lives of at least 12 apparently fit and healthy people, aged 35 and under, in the UK every week. 80% of young people have no signs or symptoms and so the only way to detect a potentially sinister cardiac abnormality is by having this simple screening test.
For the first time ever, CRY chose to come to Ernest Bevin College to offer free screening to fourteen and fifteen year olds (born in 1995
