Tests to prevent more young people from dying from undiagnosed conditions will start on the day that would have been one young victim’s 18th birthday.
Three days of heart screening are being run at Waitrose in West Ealing next month in memory of local teenager Tom Clabburn, who died aged 14.
Tom, who lived in Ealing, went to Little Ealing Primary and Drayton Manor High Schools and belonged to Questors Youth Theatre and Hanwell Town Youth FC.
Since his death his parents set up the Tom Clabburn Memorial Fund to raise funds and awareness of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which has organised free heart screenings for people aged 14 to 35.
The Test My Heart screenings will take place at Waitrose from November 27 to 29 supported by the Memorial Fund with help of a £1,000 donation from the Middlesex County FA and money raised by local people and businesses.
Brentford FC team members and manager Andy Scott, plus BBC news presenter Ben Brown are expected to be tested to boost awareness.
Tom’s father Paul said: “What would have been Tom’s 18th birthday falls on the first day of screening. We thought about it and the difficulties that might cause us and decided that we wanted to go ahead.
“We don’t want other parents to have to go through what we’re going through and if the screenings reassure the vast majority, while perhaps putting someone on the path to life-saving treatment, that’s good.
“CRY’s figures suggest that 12 young people a week are dying from undiagnosed heart conditions and that’s simply wrong. Most could be saved by treatments that already exist.
“We’d like to see a national screening programme for all those between 14-35 and until that happens, we want to try to raise awareness and get young people tested.”
Last year, more than 300 young people aged between 14-35 were screened and more than 20 referred for further tests.
CRY aims to cut the number of deaths through screenings and research and offers support post-diagnosis and for bereaved families. For further information or to book a screening visit http://www.testmyheart.org.uk
