Kettering community comes together in Miriam's memory to provide free heart screenings for young people
Community support has helped provide free heart screenings for young people in memory of a Kettering girl who died suddenly 10 years ago.
Miriam Lee died after an unexplained cardiac arrest aged just 17 in August 2016, the day after she received her AS-Level results.
To honour her memory, Miriam’s parents Nicola and David have partnered with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to provide free heart screenings for young people aged 14 to 35.
Statistics show that 12 young people a week die in the UK from an undiagnosed heart condition and 80 per cent have no symptoms.
David and Nicola want to help prevent these sudden deaths happening in other families so are urging people to take up this free offer.
Last month, Hall Meadow School in Kettering hosted a screening day where 97 young people were assessed, with two referred for further investigation.
Kettering mayor Ben Jameson attended the event, receiving a screening himself and showing support for CRY’s work.
A further weekend of testing will take place on Kettering’s Ise Lodge on October 31 and November 1.
This has been made possible thanks to community fundraising including a £10,000 grant from Kettering Warren Hill Crematorium, donations from Cllr Ben Jameson’s ward fund, the Ise Lodge Garage Sale, Kettering Bhangra classes, No.19 Wellness and Beauty and Déjà Vu Hair Design.
Appointments will be released in early October.
Families can follow Test Hearts for Miriam on Facebook or contact [email protected] for more information.
Each screening day costs £7,200 to deliver and fundraising remains essential to continue offering these life-saving checks.
And to support future testing, David will be abseiling down Northampton Lift Tower on May 23.
Donations can be made via his JustGiving page here.
Writing on his fundraising page, David said: "Every week in the UK at least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die of undiagnosed cardiac conditions.
"With your donation, CRY can reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD) by working with cardiologists and family doctors to establish good practice and appropriate screening facilities to promote and protect the cardiac health of our young.
"By supporting CRY you will help save young lives from these potentially fatal cardiac conditions.”
For more information visit the CRY website.