THREE days of heart screenings for young people are being run at Waitrose in memory of local teenager Tom Clabburn, who died aged 14, from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Tom, who lived in Ealing, went to Little Ealing Primary and Drayton Manor High Schools and belonged to Questors Youth Theatre and Hanwell Town Youth FC. Coincidentally, the first day of testing falls upon what would have been Tom's 18th birthday.
Since his death his parents have set up the The Tom Clabburn Memorial Fund to raise funds and awareness of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) which has organised a number of free heart screenings in Middlesex for young people aged 14-35.
The testing sessions are part of the Test My Heart tour and will take place at Waitrose in West Ealing on November 27- 29 November supported by the Memorial Fund with help from a £1,000 donation from the Middlesex County FA and money raised by local people and businesses. Last year more than 300 young people aged between 14-35 were screened and more than 20 were referred for further tests.
A simple way to diagnose most cardiac abnormalities is a quick and painless procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG). This test is used to record the electrical activity of your heart. If a more detailed image is required, an echocardiogram (ECHO) can be taken.
Screenings of this nature are extremely important as at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die suddenly each week through undetected heart conditions.
CRY aim to reduce that through screenings and research as well as offering support post diagnosis and for bereaved families. For further information or to book a screening please visit www.testmyheart.org/Screening.aspx
