The screenings which CRY provide are funded by those families who have lost a loved one. For example, the one held at the UoB School was funded in memory of Kevin Paterson. The screening came about due to a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, who has previously worked with CRY and wanted to organisation a sessions where sports clubs could get their athletes tested. UB Sport agreed but when Sports Officer Georgie Freeman was consulted, it was decided that it would be opened up to all staff and students at the university.
Freeman promoted the event on her social media channels, as well as it being promoted through UB Sport and both days of appointments were fully booked within a week after this promotion. Freeman said when speaking about the screening, “It’s such a good thing, it’s a free service which is happening down the road and the process is easy so people should take advantage of it.” Originally the idea was for the screenings to take place on campus, but that proved difficult and the UoB school had the space that was needed.
Although undiagnosed heart conditions are rare, there have been many high profile examples of sportspeople being affected in the last five years.
One of the most high profile cases in recent years was Fabrice Muamba, who in 2012 collapsed during an FA Cup match and went into cardiac arrest, where his heart stopped for 78 minutes. Muamba later retired from football and now has an ICD, an internal defibrillator to prevent him from entering cardiac arrest again.
Last year, England cricketer James Taylor had to retire due to Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Arrhythmia (ARVC). The condition was discovered after Taylor missed a warm-up game against Cambridge MCCU, thinking he had a viral condition but instead tests revealed the underlying heart condition and he has also had an internal defibrillator fitted.
Another example is that of former footballer Tobi Alabi – a professional who collapsed during a match aged 19 years old; Alabi now campaigns to raise awareness of cardiac health within the game of football and, as part of this, the goal is to provide screenings and defibrillators
National Badminton League player for the University of Birmingham, Gary Fox, is another athlete who has a heart condition. Fox was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, and has had a catheter ablation to try and fix the condition.
This initiative is hoped to continue in coming years, so that athletes at the university can be tested annually and continue to be safe when participating in sport.
