“Please feel free to send chocolates and make charitable donations to…” As I lay in ICU moments after waking from an induced coma, these were my words in response to my dad question “what do you want to say on social media about your health, as you have been asleep for 2 days and everyone knows and has been praying for you and they will all want to know that you are OK”.
The “to…” turned out to be Cardiac Risk in the Young, a fitting charity given that I had just suffered a cardiac arrest days before my 24th birthday. My first remarks were intended as bit of light humour into a challenging situation and giving a text book ‘press release’ answer seemed funny. In reality shortly after coming out of hospital fitted with an ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator) it did not take me very long to take raising money for CRY more seriously, taking on a number of challenges which have seem me cycle across South America and actively raising awareness of conditions like mine of hidden unknown heart disorders with no side effects until I dropped dead. I found the situation alarming that something like this could happen to me, as a fit aspiring sportsman.
I would think “If only I had known!” – Well that is one of CRY’s aims, to provide young people the opportunity for heart screening. I think CRY do fantastic work and am proud to be a representative to such a great cause.
