Badenoch and Strathspey backs petition to protect young innocents from cardiac curse
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Following devastating sudden cardiac arrest tragedies, the strath is lending its weight to a Holyrood petition calling for better screening of young people aged between 14 and 35.
"We would urge everyone in our communities throughout Badenoch and Strathspey to sign this petition and ask our MSPs to support a national strategy to prevent young sudden cardiac death," said Russell Jones, on behalf of Kingussie Camanachd.
"As a club we will probably never fully come to terms with the loss in November of Calum Mackintosh and to see that possibly up to 12 healthy young people die every week due to undiagnosed heart defects is shocking.
"Support for this petition will be greatly appreciated by the Mackintosh family and everyone who knew and loved Calum."
Kingussie were left devastated when their 19-year-old first team star passed away so suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest and hopes are growing that the petition will go before the Scottish Government as a force for change.
Raised by another family which suffered the same tragedy, it aims to clarify the number of people who die annually in Scotland from the condition and set up a pilot study to establish if voluntary screening can reduce death.
Backing has come from another strath family who suffered their own tragic loss in February 2016.
After the sudden death in Aviemore of Morgan Evans (23) thousands were raised to bring screening facilities here – a mobile unit came to Kincraig to screen any young person who wanted to find out if they might unknowingly be facing the same fate as Morgan.
His sister, Angharad, told the Strathy on Tuesday: "CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young – is committed to parliamentary change, they have done some incredible work. I have signed petitions created by them and sent my MSP a letter in 2017.
"It’s great that this is getting local backing. Just sad another family have had to suffer and another young life taken. "The pandemic put a huge strain on Morgan's campaign, as everything was suspended. Unfortunately it is not cheap to run independent heart screenings and it all comes from charity fundraising. With such demand before and after the pandemic, booking screening events with CRY are being requested a year in advance.
"I really hope the petition is successful and we fully support it and hope for change in the future."
The petition has so far secured 2000 signatures.
PE2067 was raised by Sharon Duncan to: "Improve data on young people affected by conditions causing Sudden Cardiac Death – calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to commission research to establish how many people aged 14-35 are affected by conditions that cause Young Sudden Cardiac Death; clarify the number of people who die annually in Scotland from these conditions; and set up a pilot study to establish if voluntary screening can reduce deaths."
Mrs Duncan explained: "I have written to, and met with, my MSP, Oliver Mundell, regarding the lack of clarity in data currently available. I have also introduced an MSP Pledge urging MSPs to support a national strategy to prevent young sudden cardiac death and help save the lives of at least 12 healthy young people who die every week. Along with other bereaved parents, I have raised money to provide screening and publicised this issue in national press and television."
Her son David died on March 19, 2022, while playing for the Parliament’s rugby team in Dublin.
"Almost a year after his death we found that he had died from an undiagnosed genetic condition which stopped his heart.There is no screening programme for young people with these conditions."
CRY support and fund research as well as providing screening, which is mostly funded by bereaved families. The charity believes the incidence of young people identified with a potentially fatal cardiac condition (if untreated) to be 1:300, with another 1:100 to be found with a condition that could cause serious issues later in life if not monitored. The National Screening Committee (NSC) believe the incidence to be approx. 1 or 2:100,000.
This discrepancy makes it difficult to establish the benefit of funding a national strategy. With accurate data from Scotland, the NSC could revisit their decision.
Screening costs £65 per person, and initially consists of an ECG, with follow-up by cardiologists.
You can sign the petition here
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