Cardiac Risk in the Young

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) is a humanitarian charitable organisation helping to raise awareness of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD, SCD), including sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS, SDS). CRY was established in May 1995 by Alison Cox MBE and is based in the United Kingdom.

CRY logo

The charity supports the families of victims of YSCD, facilitates the heart screening of young people through cardiac testing programmes and contributes to medical research.

Objectives
  • Raising awareness of young sudden cardiac death amongst the general public and within the medical community
  • Providing appropriate support to affected families, including expert cardiac pathology
  • Increasing early diagnosis through cardiac screening for young people
  • Improving the management of young people identified with cardiac conditions
  • Furthering research into young sudden cardiac death

The CRY General Election Manifesto 2015 states: “Through awareness, support and screening many deaths can be prevented, and research into these conditions will be the key to providing the knowledge crucial to saving these young lives.”[1]

Activities

CRY offers support to those who have suffered tragedies through a network of trained volunteer bereavement supporters,[2] counselling groups and medical information.[3] The charity also offers support and regular meetings to young people diagnosed with a cardiac condition through their myheart Network.[4]

CRY holds regular subsidised ECG screening clinics for those aged 14 to 35 across the UK,[5] with the majority of events funded by bereaved families and free to the public.

The charity funds an expert centre for fast-track cardiac pathology in the UK, the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology[6] (CRY CCP) at St George's Hospital, London. The centre is directed by Professor Mary Sheppard. Pathology is free of charge when the cause of death is unascertained and the deceased was aged 35 or under. CRY also funds the CRY Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease and Sports Cardiology at St George’s Hospital. Professor Sanjay Sharma, medical director of the London Marathon, is CRY’s consultant cardiologist and leads their research programme.[7]

CRY can provide information on

Postcard Campaigns

On 15 July 2004 CRY launched its National Postcard Campaign[8] to highlight the deaths of eight young people per week from undiagnosed heart problems by featuring their pictures. The campaign was launched at a Parliamentary Reception in Westminster. From August 2004 the Postcard has been re-launched as region specific including South West, North East, South, North West, Scotland and Wales versions. In February 2009 the postcard campaign was updated to "12 a week"[9] and continues to draw attention the number of young people with undetected heart conditions.

Patrons

References
  1. CRY General Election Manifesto 2015. Surrey, United Kingdom: Cardiac Risk in the Young. 2015. p. 5.
  2. "Bereavement". Cardiac Risk in the Young. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  3. "What is SADS". SADS. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  4. "Welcome to myheart!". myheart. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  5. "Testmyheart". Testmyheart. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  6. "CRY Centre of Cardiac Pathology (CRY CCP)". CRY CCP. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  7. "Young sudden death cardiac research". Cardiac Risk in the Young. Cardiac Risk in the Young. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  8. "CRY launches postcard campaign at Westminster with support of many MPS". Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  9. "CRY Press Release about the launch of the "Life Years Lost..." campaign". Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
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