CRY’s 16th annual Heart of London Bridges Walk will be held in two months’ time on Sunday, June 26. You can register here.
We’ll be taking part again as Team Tom XV, hoping to raise awareness of CRY’s work. Twelve young people a week aged 14-35 die of undiagnosed heart conditions.
It will be great to be back on the start line at Southwark Park after a couple of years of COVID induced “virtual walks” in our local area. Hope to see you there!
Read More
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.”
More than 80 young people had their hearts tested by CRY on Sunday at the first Tom and Claire’s Fund free screenings since 2019.
CRY had to halt all screenings during lockdown and has only recently restarted. Numbers attending were limited because of COVID restrictions but CRY were able to screen 83 people aged between 14-35. Five people were referred for further tests.
The event took place at a new location for us, the Olympic Pavilion at Trailfinders Sports Club in Vallis Way, Ealing.
Paul Clabburn said: “We really appreciate the effort Trailfinders put into hosting the event. Operations manager Reuben Hill was instrumental in making the day happen, from initially showing us around the facilities to making sure that everything was in order on the day. Trailfinders are a community focussed club and we hope this will be the first of many screening events we hold with them.
“We are also extremely grateful to the brilliant CRY team who were as friendly and professional as ever and managed to screen far more people than we expected. We also want to thank anyone who has donated to our Fund. None of this could happen without people putting their hands in their pockets.”
The Andrew Carter Memorial Mile took place on Saturday, September 4, for the first time since lock-down and raised more than £900 for Tom and Claire’s Fund and Cardiac Risk in the Young.
About sixty runners took part in the event, commemorating Andrew’s life, in Lammas Park, Ealing. Andrew collapsed from a cardiac arrest during the Ealing Half Marathon and died on October 1, 2014.
Sandra Courtney, one of the Ealing Half Marathon organisers, said: “It was a lovely day. Colin, Joyce and James, Andrew’s parents and brother, were with us again along with more family, his friends and colleagues from AIB Bank and lots more runners who just wanted to support a great cause.”
The money raised supports heart screenings in Ealing sponsored by Tom and Claire’s Fund.
Paul Clabburn said: “We are enormously grateful to all those who ran and donated and to Andrew’s parents and family. They have raised thousands of pounds over the years and played a huge part in ensuring that free heart screenings for young people can take place in Ealing.
“We have been told by CRY that screenings can start again this year, after being halted for the pandemic, and we are planning for an event to be held on November 7. Details will be published on this site nearer the time. Anyone aged 14-35 can apply.”
Read More
Heather Reid is a remarkable woman who has set herself an extraordinary challenge – to run 624 miles in tribute to all the young people who CRY say die suddenly from a ‘hidden’ heart condition every year in the UK.
Having lost her own 16-year-old daughter, Alex, in 2012, Heather has dedicated each mile of the final 120 miles to an individual who has died too soon. On Monday July 19, at our request, Heather ran in memory of Tom.
Heather said: “It was a privilege to run a mile in honour of Tom. Early on Monday morning I went for a very hot but beautiful run along the Chesterfield canal. It was a gorgeous morning and the birds were singing in full voice.
“The top photograph is where I paused after I had completed Tom’s mile in memory. It is Oneslide lock between a hamlet called Turner Wood and Shireoaks.
“It was so peaceful and a perfect place to take a few moments to think about Tom and also you, your family and friends.
“Throughout this year long challenge I have watched the seasons change. I have watched the trees turn, drop and become renewed again. I have observed this family of ducks hatch and grow.”
Later, Heather explained that she was approaching her penultimate week and added: “I can’t believe I am almost there now.”
Heather is from Thorpe Salvin, a village close to Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Since her daughter’s death, she and her husband John – supported by friends, family, the local community and Alex’s school and sporting friends – have raised awareness of young sudden cardiac death and the importance of screening and research.
We’re grateful beyond words that Heather included Tom in her endeavour and look forward to reading that she has successfully completed her trek. Bon voyage, Heather!
Read More
Team Tom walked for the 14th time in support of Cardiac Risk in the Young on Sunday. Unusually, the walk took place both inside, outside and at three different locations.
The main group took a circular route via Kew and Chiswick Bridges. Those taking part included primary school classmates of Tom. Before setting out, a minute’s silence was held for Tom and all those like him. We also remembered Gottfried Panzer, who died recently.
Gottfried, who gave Tom his first Saturday job, was a staunch supporter of CRY. He and family have taken part in countless CRY Heart of London Bridges walks. This year, Gottfried’s wife, Linda, and one of their daughter’s, Ali, did their own walk in Surrey.
With several of those who had planned to take part having to isolate in compliance with COVID guidelines, Lisa Neaverson still did her utmost to join in the spirt of the occasion, climbing the stairs at her home 140 times.
Ellen Clabburn said: “We are extremely grateful, as ever, to all those who took part. It is amazing how many people give up time to highlight that we are still losing 12 young people aged under 35 every week to undiagnosed heart conditions. Thank you, too, to those who donated on the day. We hope to have news soon about a possible resumption of screening in the Ealing area.”
Read More
