CRY General Leaflet

Information and support

CRY is a national UK charity preventing young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research, and supporting affected families.

It can be hard tobelieve that a youngperson who appears fit and healthy may be at riskfrom heart problems. However, every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy youngpeople aged 35 and under die from undiagnosed heart conditions. Sudden deathsyndrome is an umbrellaterm used forthe many different causes of youngsuddencardiacdeath (YSCD).

c-r-y.org.uk/medical-information

Bereavement Support

Helping individuals and families

CRY has a dedicated bereavement support programme to support families and friends after the tragedy of young sudden cardiac death.

Emotional Support

CRY offers telephone support to anyone over the age of 18; Group support at National Bereavement Support Days; two annual walks in London and Durham and online support via Facebook groups.

Medical Support

CRY offers specialist centres for expert cardiac pathology, expert cardiac investigations and cardiology care. Expertise are vital to understand the cause of death and to help identify other family members who may be at risk.

c-r-y.org.uk/bereavement

my heart Network

Support for people diagnosed with heart conditions

CRY's myheart Network provides help, support and information to people who are coping with the diagnosis of an inherited or congenital heart condition. myheart offers medical information and peer to peer support.

myheart.org.uk

www.c-r-y.org.uk

Screening and research

In 80% ofcases ofyoung sudden cardiacdeath (YSCD) there are no prior symptoms of a heart defect.

CRY believes the frequencyof YSCD can be dramatically reduced by making heart screeningavailableto allyoung people between the ages of14 and 35. CRY operates anational screeningprogrammein theUKand fundsmedicalresearch intotheconditions that cancause YSCD.

Cardiac Screening

Identifying young people at risk

Asimpleway to diagnosemost cardiac abnormalitiesisa quick, painlessand non-invasive test calledanECG which records the electrical activity of theheart. If a moredetailed image isrequired, an ultrasound scan of theheart –called an echocardiogram – can be taken.Any person betweenthe ages of14and 35 can book a place at a CRY screening event. testmyheart.org.uk

CRY recommends young people are referred (through their GP) to a specialist cardiologist for screening if they are experiencing any of thefollowing symptoms:

• chest pain (exercise-related)

• breathlessness

• palpitations

• dizziness

• fainting

All first-degree relativesshould also seek referral to a specialist cardiologist when there has been a young sudden death in thefamily.

Research

Furthering our understanding of young sudden death

CRY’s screeningprogramme notonlyidentifiespeople atrisk but alsoprovides data for vital research into cardiac abnormalities. CRY Consultant Cardiologist,Professor Sanjay Sharma,directs oneofthe world’sleading centres for researchinto conditions causing sudden death syndrome–theCRY Centre for Inherited CardiovascularConditions and Sports Cardiology. The centre’s findings are published in peer-reviewedjournals andCRY’s researchhasdeveloped internationally recognised guidelines forcardiacscreeninganddiagnostics. c-r-y.org.uk/research

Our Patrons

For more information about CRY’s Patrons, please go to www.c-r-y.org.uk/patrons

What CRY has achieved

CRY was the first organisation todraw attention to the range ofconditions that can cause young sudden cardiac death (YSCD).

CRY is dedicatedto saving the livesof young people affected bythese conditions through screening, research and raising awareness.

Since it began in 1995 CRY has:

• successfully informed governmentpolicy, leading to new NHS guidelines for whatshould happen aftera young suddendeath

• seen the formation oftheCRY AllPartyParliamentaryGroup (APPG), whichhasattracted cross-partysupport andhasa membershipof over 60 MPs

• developed theCRYnational screeningprogramme and established clinicsaround the UK

• screened over 250,000 youngpeople

• foundedtheCRYCentre forCardiac Pathology (CRYCCP) toprovide a fast-trackservice forbereaved families

• established the CRY Centrefor Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions and Sports Cardiology at StGeorge’sHospital inLondon –bringingtogetherresearch into YSCD,regular screening clinics,experttreatment,andtheworld’s first specialist centrefor thecardiacevaluation ofathletes

• funded over 40 CRY ResearchFellowship grants

• published over 200 articles, bookchaptersand academic papers in peer-reviewed medical journals

• launched the annual CRY InternationalMedicalConference, whereworldexperts incardiology present the latest developments in theirresearch

Why does CRY need your help?

Your involvement, however, small, is crucial to helpingus raise awareness about the risk of sudden cardiacdeath in young people.

Byfundraising for CRY you will behelping to:

• subsidise and expand CRY’s nationalscreeningprogramme. Ouraim is to make cardiacscreening accessibleto all young people aged between 14 and 35

• fundour Bereavement Support Programmetoprovide counselling andsupport to affected families

• support researchinto youngsudden cardiac death

• developthe myheartNetwork to provide help, support and information to youngpeople living withcardiac conditions

• provide allCRY literature and information free of charge uponrequest

• developtheCRYCentrefor Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions andSports Cardiology

• developtheCRYCentrefor CardiacPathology(CRYCCP)

You can donate to CRY online, by cheque or by credit card. For more details call 01737 363222 or visit www.c-r-y.org.uk/donate

All your help is greatly appreciated.

For more information about CRY visit www.c-r-y.org.uk