A couple who lost their teenage son to a rare heart condition have again organised cardiac screening sessions to spare others the same ordeal.
Since 2000, Kenny and Maralyn Bowen, whose son Ian died from an undetected rare heart condition, have arranged regular screenings for about 38 people aged 14 to 35.
It’s always a bittersweet occasion for the Bowens, who would prefer each session to come up with clean bills of health.
But every time a possible heart problem is detected, it at least gives the person and their family the chance to get something done about it, rather than having it lurk as a silent potential killer.
Last year, five of the young people screened sought further advice after potential problems were revealed.
And that, say Kenny and Maralyn, proves the value of the screenings, which are run in conjunction with national charity Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Kenny, of Buckingham Road, Redcar, said: “It’s an awful feeling when they find problems, but at least you know you’ve given that person the chance – a chance Ian never had.
“We can’t do everybody so we try to concentrate on those in the biggest risk category – usually those who play a lot of sport and maybe with a heart disease history in the family.”
The Bowens say high-profile cases such as the death of Cameroon footballer Marc Vivien-Foe, coupled with several local examples, underline the need for screenings.
And still their inspiration is Ian, who died unexpectedly in 1996, aged 19, from Wolffe-Parkinson-White Syndrome – an extra electrical connection in the heart.
Kenny and Maralyn don’t usually find out how those detected with problems at their screenings get on.
But they are always comforted by the knowledge that they have at least been given the opportunity to take action before it’s too late.
The latest appointment-only sessions – the sixth since 2000 – are costing £6,000, including £1,000 from Redcar and Cleveland Council.
They are scheduled for Saturday, March 10 at the United Reformed Church Hall, Station Road, Redcar. For details, and to make an appointment, call 01642 478 575.
Has one of the Bowens’ cardiac screening sessions helped you? Call the news desk on 01642 235 255.
