11:42am Friday 10th September 2010
By Barry Nelson
A MOBILE heart scanner will visit the North-East next weekend to kick off a national tour aimed at cutting the number of undiagnosed heart conditions in young people.
The CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) Test My Heart Tour 2010 is the only free, cardiac screening tour of its kind in the UK.
The tour starts next weekend (September 18-19) in Durham City - the same location where the first national tour was officially launched in May 2009.
The charity has strong links with the area - led by Jeff Moreland from West Rainton, County Durham, following the tragic and sudden death of his son, Levon, in 2002 from a condition known as Wollf-Parkinson White (WPW). He was aged just 22.
With the help of family and friends, Jeff, has raised more than 130,000 - which has been used to fund free cardiac screenings.
Thanks to Jeff's strong contacts, the profile of CRY and sudden cardiac death in the young has been raised dramatically. Jeff's good friend, North Durham MP Kevan Jones, helped set up the CRY Parliamentary Group.
Every week, 12 young (ie aged 35 and under) people lose their lives to sudden cardiac death in the UK.
Following the success of the initial launch in 2009 - which saw the mobile screening unit (donated by the health and well-being company, Philips) visiting 12 destinations - this year's Test My Heart Tour aims to offer free screening to more than 2,500 young people.
Last year, around 2,500 young people were tested, in venues including supermarkets, town centres and universities. At least 13 people were diagnosed with heart abnormalities.
A staggering 80 per cent of apparently healthy 14-35 year olds who die from young sudden cardiac death will have shown no previous sign of heart defects. CRY chief executive, Alison Cox said: "In 2009 our team identified a number of young people who were simply unaware that they were walking around with an undiagnosed and potentially fatal heart defect - literally, a ticking timebomb.
Anyone aged 14-35 in the Durham area who is interested in having their heart tested should go to www.testmyheart.org to book a free appointment.
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