A couple who lost their teenage son to a hidden heart condition are continuing to try to ensure other parents don’t suffer the same despair.
Since their son Ian died in 1996, aged just 19, Redcar couple Kenny and Maralyn Bowen have selflessly devoted much of their time to helping national charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Unknown to all, Ian had Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome – an extra electrical connection in the heart.
It’s a condition which could have been detected had Ian’s heart been screened.
So in what’s becoming an annual fixture, his parents arrange a heart screening session or 38 young people.
Over the years, 266 young people have been screened in seven of Kenny and Maralyn’s regular sessions.
But as only one of the seven provided a clean bill of health, it means at least six people – and possibly more – have had possible problems detected.
This year’s session – the eighth – has now been fixed for Saturday, July 4 at Redcar’s United Reformed Church. But as far as Maralyn is concerned, no news will be good news.
She said: “If everyone screened gets the all-clear, we’ll by happy because at least they’ll get peace of mind.
“But if it detects something, it gives that person the chance to do something about it – a chance Ian never had.
“In every screening we’ve had bar one, something has turned up. It’s a double-edged sword. You don’t want people to have a problem, but if they do, at least it gives them a good chance to get it sorted out.”
Over the years, Kenny and Maralyn, of Buckingham Road, Redcar, have helped CRY pull in at least £300,000 by applying to trusts.
And they continue to back CRY’s national drive to raise awareness, having allowed Ian’s picture to feature on a new ’12 A Week’ campaign.
The campaign highlights the fact that 12 young people die each week of sudden cardiac death – twice as many as previously thought. Postcards feature the photos of 12 young people from the North-East – including Ian – who lost their lives suddenly to previously undetected heart conditions.
But the Redcar screenings remain particularly close to Kenny and Maralyn’s hearts, with the Ian Bowen Memorial Fund raising £52,000 over the years to pay for them.
this year’s session is costing £6,000 to stage and involves a team of CRY specialists travelling up from London.
The screenings are aimed at young people aged 14 – 35 whose families have a history of heart problems, or who lead a sporty, active lifestyle and just want peace of mind.
But the Bowens have another aim.
Maralyn explained: “We will still keep fighting until the Government screens all kids before they leave school – that’s our ultimate wish.
“Ask any parent that has lost a child to a hidden heart problem and they will say the same.”
To enquire about booking a place, call 01642 478 575. To contact CRY nationally, call 01737 363 222 or visit
