Shetland News, 14th October 2019
A campaign to bring Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) free heart screenings to Shetland is now near its original target of £25,000, having raised more than £23,000 following 6 months of fundraising events such as a sponsored toddler cycle and walk, Sunday tea, concerts, buffets, head shaves and more. The group behind the campaign, Shetland Heart Screening, was formed by Siobhan Pirie whose husband, John Pirie, passed away suddenly in 2017 at only 29 years old due to an undiagnosed heart condition. Siobhan wished to provide free heart screenings for everyone in Shetland, aged 14 – 35, in memory of her husband and began to fundraise to bring CRY screenings to the community.
“This total of £25,000 was going to be enough to guarantee two lots of screening, in 2021 and 2023, so to reach that in less than six months is overwhelming and something we never expected,” Siobhan said. “Once we reach the target we won’t just be stopping either. We will keep raising money in order to allow the screenings to keep happening for years to come.”
