Why we’re donating £20k to help fund more research doctors for @CRY_UK

Tom and Claire’s Fund raises money primarily to support free heart screening for young people. But we can’t hold screenings if there aren’t enough doctors to carry out the tests. Nor can any other CRY family.

Therefore, after discussions with CRY, we have decided to donate £20,000 towards funding the research doctors who review the ECG results of every young person tested. It’s not the first time we’re supported CRY’s research programme. Back in 2016 we bought an echocardiogram and made a donation.

We want CRY to be able to carry out as many screenings as possible where-ever they are needed in the UK and so making the donation with the money you have raised feels the right thing to do. A huge backlog has built up after the pandemic halted testing.

CRY’s chief Executive, Dr Steven Cox explains more:

“Thank you to all the supporters of Tom and Claire’s memorial fund for once again making a fantastic donation to CRY’s research programme.

“It is great news that CRY’s screening programme has restarted, and we are so pleased we have been able to hold a screening in memory of Tom and Claire at the Olympic Pavilion at Trailfinders Sports Club in Vallis Way earlier this month.

“Whilst it is brilliant to see young people being tested again, one of our most pressing challenges as a charity is to re-establish the CRY medical team after the massive impact Covid has had on our fundraising over the last 18 months.

“Funding research at CRY means funding the CRY research doctors which have the key role in the screening programme, evaluating the symptoms and reviewing the ECGs of every young person we test. Quite simply, the more doctors we are able to fund, the more young people we can screen. We urgently need to appoint more doctors so we can start to respond to the incredible demand we have for screening, with more than 50,000 young people now on a waiting list waiting to be tested.

“This support for research in memory of Tom and Claire has meant we can start the process of recruiting more doctors to get the screening programme back on track and help to save many more young lives. Thank you for all your support.”