Heart screening at Cardinal Langley High School

Cardinal Langley RC High School hosted heart screening for students and members of the community with Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 February.

At least 12 young people die of undiagnosed heart conditions every week in the UK: CRY is a charity that aims to prevent sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research.

Headteacher, Andrew Bridson, explained: “As a school we have been committed to provide this cardiac screening opportunity since the tragic death of one of our students in 2015.

“I am delighted that 200 people have been able to attend over the two days and hope that this has provided them with reassurance or early detection.

“We were able to provide this screening due to kind donations from members of the community to the Charlie Holden appeal.”

One of the students who took part said: “I’m grateful for the opportunity to have the screening as you never know if you could be affected. What happened to Charlie Holden was tragic and hopefully this screening will prevent others being affected in the future.”

Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD).

CRY supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families affected by YSCD, as well as promoting and developing heart screening programmes.