Preventing young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families.

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During the Christmas period, the CRY phone lines will be closed from 5pm on 21st December until 10am on 3rd January. Any messages received during this period regarding a bereavement will be given priority and responded to as soon as possible, when the phone lines reopens.

You can leave a message for CRY via email, telephone or via the form on this page.

CRY can offer support to families who have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death, through expert pathology, advice about cardiac screening for family members, and bereavement support.

  • Specialist cardiac pathology: CRY’s Centre for Cardiac Pathology offers fast track expert pathology within 2 weeks of the referral. This is crucial in fully investigating the cause of death, as well as informing the specialist cardiologist what further investigations are required. The coroner can find out more information about how to refer to the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology at www.cry-ccp.org.uk.
  • Specialist cardiology referral: an ECG conducted by a GP after a young sudden death is not sufficient as it is important that first degree blood relatives are tested by a specialist.
  • CRY’s support network: CRY can offer bereavement support to anyone (over the age of 18) who has lost a young person aged 35 and under to a young sudden cardiac death. This support includes telephone support, online support and Bereavement Support Days.

If you have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death and would like to talk about any of these areas, please contact us to leave a message. Your message will be given priority and we will be in touch as soon as possible when the office reopens.

A digital version of CRY’s information pack for bereaved families can be found below.

“Talking about our grief with the CRY bereavement team, and other CRY families has helped us to live with the loss of our son. Sharing experiences has helped us to develop coping mechanism, and it is comforting to know that many of the feelings we experience are a normal part of the grieving process”

The booklet features 14 short chapters (written as a series of quotes) from men and women talking through their personal experience of facing the “festive season” when all they want to do is hide away, ignore the fun and frivolities and treat it is as any other day.

Read the booklet online here.

For all media enquires please contact CRY’s PR partner Trinity PR on 020 7112 4905 or by emailing [email protected]

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) works to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) and offers support to families affected by YSCD.

Support

The emotional impact of the sudden, seemingly inexplicable death of a young person on their family cannot be underestimated. CRY offers emotional and clinical support following a young sudden cardiac death.

Screening

Cardiac screening to identify young people at risk is cost-effective when conducted correctly – the conditions can be treated, securing a future for those identified. All young people should have the choice to be tested.

Research

CRY’s research programme gives us unique access to general population-based data, enabling comparisons between athletes, ethnicities and gender. Better understanding of what is normal for young people, can better identify and treat those at risk.

Awareness

Awareness not only helps identify those at risk, but also ensures correct clinical practice when treating a young person with an inherited cardiac condition.