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North Lincolnshire mum’s campaign for compulsory heart screenings to be offered to young people gains traction

A North Lincolnshire mum who is fighting for young people across the UK to be offered compulsory heart screenings after losing her son to a cardiac arrest said her campaign is “going in the right direction” after a meeting with the Public Health Minister.

In 2019, Gill’s son Nathan Bryan died in his sleep due to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), a condition where someone has a sudden cardiac arrest without an obvious cause. He was just 31 years old.

In the years since, Gill and her family have tirelessly fundraised for the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity, which provides heart screenings for young people aged between 14 and 35 up and down the country.

Thanks to Gill’s efforts, hundreds of people locally have been screened for heart conditions. Some displayed concerning results and were referred for further tests with Cardiology, potentially saving their lives in the process.

On Monday, Gill and her husband Steve travelled to London to meet with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, Andrew Gwynne, to discuss their ultimate aim – compulsory heart screenings to be offered for young people in the UK.



Steve Ayling (second to left) and Gill Ayling (middle) met with Andrew Gwynne MP and other representatives in London to discuss her campaign to offer compulsory heart screenings to young people in the UK

Gill said: “It was a really positive meeting and we’re going in the right direction. He wants to help us, and he’s asked for more data to be provided to the National Screening Committee. He’s then going to get in touch with us to arrange future meetings.”

Also present at the meeting was the CEO of the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity, Steven Cox, Cardiac Pathologist Professor Mary Sheppard and the Director of Screening for Public Health England, Professor Ann Mackie.

Gill was also invited to a conference at the Italian embassy by fellow CRY supporter and campaigner Hilary Nicholls, where British and Italian doctors discussed offering compulsory heart screenings to young people.

“It went really well and was really informative,” Gill said.



Gill and Steve Ayling at the Italian Embassy

“Since Nathan has died, it’s given us something to focus on. If we can save one young life and prevent other families from going through what we have been through, then everything has been worthwhile.”

Recently, Eamon and Caroline Barrett of Normanby Hall Golf Club helped to raise an incredible £20,460 for Gill’s community group, The Beat Goes on 31, to fund more heart screenings, after selecting the cause as their chosen charity for the year.



Steve and Gill Ayling with Caroline and Eamon Barrett of Normanby Hall Golf Club after they helped to raise more than £20,000

Eamon said: “I’m really proud at how much we’ve raised. My goal was about £5,000 but we’ve exceeded our target.

“If it saves one person’s life, it’s all been worth it. I know how awful it was for Gill and Steve losing Nathan so we feel really proud of what we’ve raised.”

Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe

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