Cousins of Corby footballer who died on pitch to raise cash for cardiac charity

It's been thirty years since Corby lad David Longhurst collapsed suddenly on the pitch while playing professional football for York City.

There had been no clues that he had been suffering from the fatal, undiagnosed heart condition cardiomyopathy apart from occasional tiredness after a hard training session. He was taken to hospital after his collapse at Bootham Crescent but tragically died. He was just 25. His dad Vic heard the news as he was tuning in to hear the football results on his car radio.

Now, three decades later his cousins Karen McCluskey and Liam Flanagan, who both live in Corby, are putting their best feet forward to take part in a sponsored walk to help a charity that screens children for similar silent cardiac conditions.

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) is a national charity offering ECGs to people between the ages of 14 and 35 to screen them for cardiac abnormalities. But much of their vital work has been halted by Covid - and the charity has had to cancel 21,000 screening appointments since March, potentially resulting in 70 young people not being diagnosed with heart conditions.

Karen and Liam are hoping to raise cash to pay for the £50 screenings - as well as helping the charity find large venues that are willing to facilitate screening events in the coming months.

As a young teen, Karen was taken to see former Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady and Pope John pupil David play football many times and remembers being incredibly proud of her older cousin.

"He always came and sat with us in the players' lounge," said Karen.

"He was so funny. Always laughing and joking. He once went to school to pick up my sister wearing comedy glasses and a moustache.

"We didn't have any idea he had anything wrong with his heart. Looking back, he used to fall asleep after training but we couldn't have known.

"His death took a huge toll on our whole family. It still does.

"It got to the thirty year anniversary of his death and we knew we wanted to do something to mark it but it's been difficult with Covid."

The pair are taking part in CRY's 12-a-week campaign which represents the twelve young people that die each week from undiagnosed heart conditions. They will walk twelve miles tomorrow (Saturday, November 21) from West Glebe Pavilion in Corby to Middleton, East Carlton, Cottingham and back to West Glebe. They are raising money for CRY's screening programme and have already managed to collect more than £1,000.

Karen said: "These conditions are largely treatable so this screening is really vital. If you are found to have a serious condition then you may not be able to play much sport again but you will still have your life.

"The ECB, England Rugby Football Union, the Lawn Tennis Association and Team GB all pay CRY to carry out screening but when you start going down the leagues it's very much up to the individual teams to fund it and they can't always do so.

"If CRY do pick up a genetic condition it means that other members of the family can be screened by the NHS. David's condition was genetic so his immediate family was screened afterwards. His condition was passed on from his dad but he couldn't have known and he lived a long life doing lots of campaigning for awareness after David's death."

CRY carries out screening events at large venues around the country and invites local young people to be given life-saving screenings for free. But their efforts have had to be put on hold because of the pandemic.

Since the charity started 25 years ago they have carried out more than 220,000 screenings and they also offer bereavement counselling, research and other services to those affected by cardiac conditions.

Karen added: "It's absolutely vital they find venues that will host them. I know it's very difficult with the current situation but I know we do have large venues that are sitting empty that could be used."

CRY Chief Executive Dr Steven Cox said: "CRY stopped screening on March 16 as part of the UK's initial lockdown measures. This was around the same time that the NHS breast and cervical screening services were temporarily stopped, although these are now coming back into practice. Understandably there were immediate concerns around footfall as we test around 100 people per day at a CRY testing session.

"However now, eight months on, we have had to cancel more than 21,000 screening appointments and we remain uncertain as to when and how we will be able to resume our internationally-acclaimed screening services.

"CRY research and international statistics suggest this current hiatus may have already resulted in more than 70 young people not receiving a diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening condition and the treatment, lifestyle advice or surgery that would reduce their risk of suffering a cardiac arrest.

"What we desperately need, once this lockdown is eventually eased, is access to suitably large venues. What we're hoping for as soon as it is appropriate to do so, is to hear from the owners and managers of large and spacious venues such as sporting arenas, mothballed stadiums, often with large, modern and currently empty conference facilities which might be appropriate for hosting CRY screenings."

To sponsor Karen and Liam visit their Facebook fundraising page.For more information about CRY or to offer use of a venue please visit their website.