True grit on behalf of @CRY_UK #12aweek

Two sides of CRY featured over a couple of days in late April – the London Marathon and the “One Voice, Many Hearts” round table at Westminster.

Firstly, huge thanks to Jane Kinghorn for having the motivation and resilience to complete the marathon in memory of Claire. Jane teamed up with Stephanie Marshall and, at time of writing, the pair had raised more than £6,700 for CRY funds, more than double the amount they aimed for. Thanks to everyone who supported them.

Secondly, Hilary Nicholls found strength of a different kind to set up a round table in parliament less than a year after losing her 20-year-old daughter, Clarissa, to an undiagnosed cardiac condition.

The event, hosted by Carolyn Harris MP, who lost a child of her own in a road accident, brought together those interested in trying to reduce the incidence of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) in Britain. As Ms Harris pointed out, parliamentarians were more likely to listen if those arguing the case spoke with one voice on the issue. There’s not a competition between more screening or extra defibrillators or increased CPR training. All are needed to save the maximum number of lives.  

The event concluded with open questions to a panel including CRY’s Chief Executive, Dr Steve Cox. Many CRY families were at the event and their stories were harrowing. It was good to see a large number of MPs dropping by to listen to the discussion, including mine, Ruth Cadbury.  

It is appalling that, so many years after Tom’s death, young lives, like Clarissa’s, are still being lost. I can only hope that events such as this will help to bring closer a day when losing more than six hundred young people a year to cardiac conditions that are largely treatable is no longer acceptable.