A message from @CRY_UK to Tom & Claire’s Fund supporters
Earlier this year Tom and Claire’s Fund supported six days of screenings at CRY’s testing centre based at St George’s Hospital, London.
More than 500 people were tested and 29 have been referred for further tests. That such screenings can take place is yet again down to all of you who have raised money and awareness.
CRY’s Chief Executive, Steve Cox, sent this message: “In 2008 the friends and family of Tom started to support CRY in his memory. The first such screenings were held just a year later at Brentford Football Club, the final destination of the national CRY Philips Testmyheart Tour.
“Every year since, at least one day of screening has been held in Tom’s memory.
“This year, over 500 people have been tested in memory of Tom and Claire at CRY’s Centre at St George’s Hospital in London. The screening clinic in London provides a unique regular service which people travel from all over the country to attend.
“In total, over 1,800 people have been screened thanks to the support of friends and family of Tom and Claire. This will have resulted in six people being diagnosed with potentially life threatening cardiac conditions. These are conditions which will benefit from treatment, lifestyle changes or in some cases corrective surgery to remove the risk.
“An additional 18 young people will have been told they have a cardiac condition which is not life threatening but, by knowing about the condition now and having it monitored, it will prevent problems from occurring in the fourth decade of life, when it is too late and the damage is done.
“As well as screening hundreds of young people, the support in memory of Tom and Claire has enabled CRY to purchase an additional ultrasound machine, helping to expand our screening programme and test many more people. By offering an echo to every person at a screening who needs it, based on their ECG and symptoms, we are able to reassure more people on the day of the testing and minimise the numbers of people referred into the NHS for further tests.
“Since 2008 over £150,000 has been raised in memory of Tom and Claire. This year Paul and Ellen agreed to also support CRY’s research programme. Our latest published research has been referred to by leaders in the field as some of the most important in the area in helping to understand the causes of young sudden cardiac death.
“CRY’s research is also having a major influence throughout the world, refining the criteria used when analysing ECG’s. In the coming weeks we will be publishing a paper in a major American journal which shows CRY’s research has reduced the number of people who are referred for further tests by 20%. This is going to have a massive impact on making screening programmes more cost effective but also, when you apply this to the wider clinical practice, it could lead to huge savings within the NHS.
“This is just one of our most recent breakthroughs which would not have been possible without the incredible support of everyone who knew Tom and Claire. Thank you.”
We will be holding a further screening day in Ealing in November and will be looking at ways for the Fund to support further CRY screening events before the end of this year.