The University of Glamorgan is launching Wales’ first cardiac screening clinic for young people on November 1.
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) says a simple and quick ECG test could save the lives of the twelve healthy young people who die each week in the UK from undiagnosed heart conditions.
CRY urges people between the ages of 14 and 35 to get screened at the University of Glamorgan’s Glyntaf campus, particularly if they are engaged in sport.
Donations made in memory of Gareth McDonald and Christian Thomas will fund the appointments at this first clinic, which would usually cost £35 per person. Gareth was a student at the University before he died, aged 27. Christian died, aged just 15, of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a condition that affects 1 in 500 people.
Dr Steve Cox, Deputy Chief Executive of CRY explains: “The death of a young person is devastating for any family. At CRY, we would encourage all families to have their children screened for any underlying heart conditions. One in every three hundred apparently fit and healthy young people have an underlying condition. This really is a silent killer in our midst.”
