Much-missed Mercedes colleague inspires pioneering heart screening day

Run by CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), the project is particularly personal to Wylde Green Rotary Club’s President Paul Lane whose son Anthony died suddenly of cardiac arrest aged just 26.

It is hoped the screening day, hosted by Sutton Coldfield Town FC on July 21st, will be the first of many for the area, thanks to Rotary grants and fundraising campaigns headed up by Paul.

Anthony, from Rugby, was a talented mechanical engineer who landed his dream job within the Formula One industry at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, after graduating from Birmingham University in 2019. He was Technical Director for the University of Birmingham Racing (UBR) Team that competes at Silverstone each year. That year the Team came second, to-date the best results the Team have gained in its 26-year history in the international, yearly competition.

Colleagues at Mercedes have dedicated an annual Karting Cup to Anthony’s memory. It is presented by Paul and his wife Penny and raises money for Anthony’s Memorial Fund. In a special memorial tribute, his name was added to the nose cone of drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russells’s cars at the 2022 F1 Mexican Grand Prix.

Hywel Thomas, Managing Director Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, said: “Anthony was a highly valued and respected member of our Team at Brixworth, engineering the Power Unit for Mercedes F1.

“We were, of course, shocked and deeply saddened by what happened to Anthony and are proud to support his memorial fund, particularly by way of an event that Anthony would have thoroughly approved of.”

CRY, which was adopted as one of Rotary’s Charities of the Year, works to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research and supporting affected families – something he and his family have been very grateful for.

Paul Lane said: “One Saturday morning in October 2022 Anthony was on his turbo trainer bike at home, exercising alone. His partner returned home after shopping to find him unresponsive on the floor. West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance attended but unfortunately Anthony had already passed away.

“It is believed that Anthony had an undiagnosed heart condition, from which he had no symptoms. This led us to CRY and we learned more about the research they're doing and their lobbying of politicians to try and get the UK government to test young people between the ages of 14 and 34.

“It is likely that Anthony’s heart ‘short-circuited’ and went into a lethal arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation that causes sudden cardiac death if not treated immediately with CPR and defibrillation.”

Paul, who has been a Rotarian for 20 years, added: “When I came to Rotary, knowing that membership is a struggle, I thought it was important to do something that people could associate Rotary with outside of Santa's sleigh which is the thing everybody knows about us.

“They say events happen for a reason and Anthony’s passing away and our work with CRY has given us the ability to organise the screening session, which we're hoping we can do long term, and at the end of that people will hopefully start to associate Rotary with something different and we may have saved a young person’s life.”

Every week in the UK, around 12 young people, between ages of 14 and 35, die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. 80% of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.

CRY uses a very simple, effective and non-invasive way of diagnosing most cardiac abnormalities. It is a quick, painless and affordable procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is reviewed by a specially trained medic. If a young person is found to have an abnormality, CRY will also swiftly refer them for Echocardiogram screening (ultrasound) and ongoing, more in-depth investigations, as necessary.

There is enough money to fund six annual screening sessions in the town at a cost of £6,500 each but the family are hopeful of further grant support to extend that period.

The first session will be supported on the day by Rotarians and volunteers and attended by Anthony’s friends and family as well as Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell.

CRY’S CEO Dr Steven Cox said: “We find it so humbling that despite their own experience, bereaved families find the strength to see through their own devastating grief and feel able to give back to charitable organisations through amazing fundraising and awareness efforts – driven by the common goal of wanting to prevent other families from having to face the same tragic circumstances as they have.

“In addition to our pioneering screening programme which has been so generously supported by the Wylde Green Rotary Club, in memory of Anthony, CRY also funds a world-renowned research centre in London and a unique, nationwide Bereavement Support network.

“These services are so important and I’d therefore like to publicly thank Paul, his family and wider Rotary connections for the awareness they are raising and everything they are doing to support CRY and our ongoing mission to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths.”

Paul, who now lives in Lichfield, said: “Anthony was a perfectly healthy young person who, like all young people, didn't go to the doctor and who thought he was invincible. One minute he was perfectly fit on his turbo trainer, the next minute he’s gone.

“It is so tragic that this happened but we like to think of this project as a lasting memorial to him. As far as Rotary is concerned, this is doing two things - it is potentially saving young lives and, from a purely selfish standpoint, is promoting Rotary.”

Meanwhile, as family and friends marked what would have been Anthony’s 28th birthday last month, the fundraising plans continue in earnest to grow the memorial Fund total. Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anthonylanecry?utm_source=whatsapp to support Anthony’s friends in their next fundraisers.