A nurse who lost her younger brother to a rare heart condition will be raising awareness of Cardiac Risk in the Young during this week’s London Marathon.
Sarah Hinchliffe, who works at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, is running the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday in aid of the charity CRY, which stand for Cardiac Risk in the Young.
The 35-year-old, of Cannon Street, in Bury, is taking part this year, in memory of her brother Peter, who died unexpectedly last September from an abnormal heart rhythm.
The 33-year-old fitness instructor and semi-professional road cyclist from Doncaster died while cycling in Yorkshire despite being fit and healthy.
Miss Hinchliffe, who is a cardiac and heart failure nurse specialist, is hoping to help prevent other early deaths by supporting CRY at the marathon.
She has nearly reached her target of £1,800 which will go towards the CRY campaign helping to fund research into preventing young sudden cardiac deaths throughout the UK.
She said: “I am doing this because my brother’s death could have been prevented if he had been diagnosed and treated earlier.
“It came happen without warning, but often there are signs which medical professionals could pick up.
“CRY is campaigning for more people under 35 to have screening so that the number of deaths can be reduced.”
Miss Hinchliffe, who has taken part in a number of marathons before, said her brother’s death has come as a “huge shock”.
She is expecting this marathon, in which she is taking part dressed as a heart, to be “extremely emotional” because of the meaning behind it.
Since her younger brother’s death she said her and her older brother Rob, who is a surgeon, had been screened.
She said: “If you have got anyone in the family who has died suddenly it’s quite a big indication to get checked out.
“The link is there and I would encourage anyone, especially sports clubs, to get any of their young athletes screened.”
Donations can be made at http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/sarahhinchliffel
