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Posted by on May 24, 2021 in 2021, Awareness, Cardiac Risk in the Young, CRY London Bridges Walk, Uncategorized

Walk again for @CRY_UK on June 27 #YSCD

CRY Walk 3 en route
En route during last year’s walk.

We’ll be walking in memory of Tom and all those like him on Sunday, June 27.

We will set out in support of Cardiac Risk in the Young at 1100 from Kew Green. We’ll take a circular route via Chiswick and Kew Bridges, finishing back at Kew Green. It’s about three miles and takes an hour or so to complete.

While ensuring we are compliant with whatever COVID regulations are in place at the time, we’d love as many people as possible to join us. Let us know you’re coming by emailing thetomclabburnfund@gmail.com or by leaving a message on our Facebook page.

It’s the second year in succession, CRY has had to cancel its Heart of London Bridges Walk because of uncertainty caused by the COVID pandemic. CRY says: “We can’t wait to (virtually) walk with you this year. On 27th June, join us from wherever you are in the UK.” It’s the 15th year the walk has taken place.

If you want to register, do so here. You don’t have to but it gets you a T-shirt. Like many charities, CRY has struggled during COVID and needs to raise its profile again. A proudly worn tee will help to do just that.

If anyone needed reminding about the value of CRY’s work, a recent documentary on the BBC, “Sudden Adult Death: My Sister’s Silent Killer”, highlights the importance.  It follows a brother’s search for answers after losing his 19-year-old sister to an undiagnosed heart condition. We’d urge anyone to watch but, be warned, the first couple of minutes, which replay the recorded call to emergency services, are particularly hard. It’s available on BBC iPlayer.

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Posted by on Nov 27, 2020 in 2020, Cardiac Risk in the Young, CRY screenings, Donations

Tom’s birthday present for @CRY_UK

CRY 2020 Tom Tshirt

Today should have been Tom’s 28th birthday. We thought it would be good to mark the occasion with some positive news.

With CRY’s screening programme temporarily on hold, we’ve decided to support a project – a database – that the charity says will take its research programme to the next level and enable it to screen even more young people in the future.

Dr Steven Cox, CRY’s Chief Executive said: “Thank you to everyone who is supporting CRY in memory of Tom and Claire. This new research database is so important and we greatly appreciate the incredible support from Tom and Claire’s Memorial Fund to enable us to take this forward.”

Steve explained that due to the rapid expansion of CRY’s research and screening programmes, the charity needs a bespoke database to allow it to develop its vital work.

He said: “This will be a cloud-based system enabling CRY to build on the success of our screening and research programmes and develop worldwide collaborations between international partners.

“This is one of the most important projects that CRY needs to invest into in order to take our research programme to the next level. The new database will have a huge impact on the cost-effectiveness of our programmes. This system will enable CRY to screen even more young people, meaning we will identify more people with cardiac conditions and save more young lives.”

The database will cost in the region of £60,000. Tom and Claire’s Fund will pay fifty per cent towards the cost or £30,000, whichever is the greater.

Like Steve, we can only say “thank you” to everyone. Without people continuing to raise money for Tom and Claire’s Fund, we couldn’t help CRY in this way. As with every other charity, CRY faces challenges because of the pandemic and so, while we can’t screen, we thought it better to do something with the funds rather than leave them in a bank account.

We will be back screening in west London as soon as conditions allow. We have dates pencilled in for next year, 2022 and 2023.

Thanks again and keep safe.

Paul and Ellen x

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Posted by on Nov 23, 2020 in 2020, Awareness, Cardiac Risk in the Young

Great cake bake for @CRY_UK

CRY great cake bake.
Hayley and Ellen.

CRY’s annual Great Cake Bake took place against the background of COVID restrictions.

Ellen Clabburn said: “Hayley and I decided to bake something to mark CRY’s raising awareness week (16-22 November) and the CRY Great Bake.

“Although fundraising is more of a challenge during lockdown, we can still raise awareness via social media.

“We feel that, without screenings this year, it is more important than ever to raise awareness of the 12 young people who die each week from undiagnosed heart conditions.”

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Posted by on Jun 29, 2020 in 2020, Awareness, Cardiac Risk in the Young, CRY London Bridges Walk

Team Tom XIII walks on for @CRY_UK

CRY Walk 2020 1 gathering

Gathering for the walk.

It’s a sobering thought that more than eight thousand 14 to 35-year olds will have died since we first walked with CRY in 2008 to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions in young people and to remember Tom.

This year’s CRY Heart of London Bridges Walk had to be cancelled because of coronavirus and so, like many families across the UK, we held our own socially distanced walk in west London.

CRY Walk 2020 2 silence

Remembering Tom and all those like him at the two-minute silence.

Despite the awful situation the country currently finds itself in, we cannot lose sight of the need to ensure that the 12 young people who CRY say die every week from undiagnosed heart conditions are given the chance of a future.

We’re grateful to those who knew Tom for giving up their time and walking, more than a decade after his passing. It’s something we hugely appreciate. I very much hope we can all gather together again in London for a full-length bridges walk next year.

CRY Walk 3 en route

Another bridge crossed.

 

Stay safe,

Paul and Ellen x

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Posted by on Jun 25, 2020 in 2020, Cardiac Risk in the Young, CRY London Bridges Walk

This year’s @CRY_UK London Bridges walk

CRY 2020 Tom Tshirt

As you no doubt know, this year’s CRY Heart of London Bridges Walk, due to take place this coming Sunday, June 28, has been cancelled.

However, if you want to leave a message and/or photograph of those you would have walked in memory of, you can do so on CRY’s digital message wall here.

There’s also a link to further information on what CRY will be doing on the day – including a two-minute silence – here.

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Posted by on Jun 8, 2020 in 2020, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Donations

Thank you for raising more than £200k for @CRY_UK

It’s been far too long since we last posted but we’re thrilled to be able to say that the latest financial statement from CRY shows Tom and Claire’s Fund has raised more than £204,000 since launch.

That’s entirely down to you, everyone who has raised money over the years, even during lockdown. Thank you.

Because of your generosity the Fund has:

  • Paid for more than 2,800 free screenings of young people aged 14-35 since June, 2009.
  • Donated £10,000 to CRY’s research.
  • Bought an echocardiogram machine for CRY.

We don’t believe in sitting on the money that you’ve raised so we’ll be talking to CRY about where it can be most usefully spent in the coming weeks and months.

Separately, you‘ll probably know that CRY’s annual Heart of London Bridges Walk, due to be held on June 28, has been cancelled this year. Instead, there’ll be a virtual event and we’ll keep you posted on what we’ll be doing.

Finally, you’ll also probably know that CRY are not currently holding screenings and that many of their medical teams are involved in combatting coronavirus.

Our next free Ealing heart tests are planned for November so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that they are able to take place. Obviously, we’ll be guided by CRY and the doctors at the surgery where they’re held.

Keep well and keep safe,

Paul and Ellen x

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