With Ruth Cadbury MP, centre, CRY patron Andy Scott, far left, and CRY Chief Executive, Steve Cox, far right.
CRY has a lot of unsung heroes. All over the country people raise money for free screenings and ground-breaking research; devote their time to raising awareness of the dangers of undiagnosed heart conditions in young people. They don’t make a fuss, they simply deliver.
The charity’s annual All-Party Parliamentary Group reception at the House of Commons, held this year on Wednesday, November 21, was a chance to celebrate their work.
You meet people from all walks of life; those who have lost children, siblings, parents; medics pushing scientific boundaries in the search for answers; those who support CRY because they believe losing 12 young people a week to undiagnosed heart conditions is simply wrong.
As usual, one of those attending was CRY patron Andy Scott. Year after year, the former Brentford manager, now Sporting Director at Watford, gives up his time for CRY. He’s supported our family by turning out at our screenings. He’s supported many more CRY families, directly or indirectly, by working for well over a decade to raise awareness.
This year he was at parliament while mourning the loss of a friend, Robert Rowan, Brentford Football Club’s technical director, who died of heart failure at the age of 28 earlier this month. It’s a tribute to Andy’s commitment to CRY that he chose to attend in such circumstances. On the other hand, it’s not surprising.
It was also noticeable how many MPs at the reception were there because they had a direct connection to a CRY family. One such was our own Brentford and Isleworth MP, Ruth Cadbury. Her son, Joe, was a friend of Tom’s, dating back to their time together at Little Ealing Primary School. Ruth has been a long-standing supporter of CRY and, again, it’s not surprising she chose to attend.
Within the next year, the National Screening Committee are due to consider the merits of a UK-wide screening programme for young people. Quite rightly, they’ll put great weight on the scientific evidence although, as CRY’s chief executive, Steve Cox, pointed out, they might also consider the human cost. It’s not just statistics we’re dealing with, it’s the impact of young lives lost.
The NSC’s last review in 2015 left me with more questions than answers. Will it be different this time? Now that really would be surprising.
CRY’s Consultant Cardiologist, Professor Sanjay Sharma, with CRY patron and Tottenham Hotspur legend, Pat Jennings.
