Meet Our Representative - David Jewell

David Jewell

David Jewell: Representative in Tyne & Wear

In May 2001 my son, Damien aged 28, went to bed and did not wake up. The post-mortem identified that he had suffered an “acute myocarditis” – losing your only child is devastating.

Damien Jewell

I became aware of CRY at this time but I did not take the opportunity to use any of their service. Instead I buried myself in my job which was a world I could cope with and it provided me with some much needed continuity of my purpose in life.

Fast forward to when I approached my retirement in February 2016 I decided that I wanted to offer my time to CRY so that I could help to raise awareness of cardiac issues in the young.

After a visit to the CRY offices in Leatherhead, I have been involved in a number of activities representing CRY and meeting some really dedicated people who are trying to make a difference after the loss of a loved one.

On 9 May I will be organising the 4th CRY Seaside Walk to help raise funds (and awareness) for another CRY Screening Session in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

The CRY Seaside Walk starts at Percy Park Rugby Club in Tynemouth, down to the sea front and ending at the Rendezvous Cafe at Whitley Bay, 3.5 miles away.

My first CRY Screening Sessions were on 29 and 30 October 2022 and were held at the Vertu Motors Arena, home of the Newcastle Eagles Basketball team when over 190 young people were screened – I was working at the Vertu Motors Head Office until I retired in February 2016!

Sadly, it is often not until the loss of a loved one that we become aware of CRY – I would like to help change that by raising awareness so that we can help towards preventing cardiac issues.

By becoming an “official ” CRY representative I do hope I can help achieve this objective.