I am not an immediate family member, can I complete the form?
We have asked for only immediate family members to complete the form so we can be sure the family want the name of the person who has died to be part of this campaign. If for any reason the immediate family are unable to complete the form, but they would support you completing the form on their behalf, please contact CRY.
Why do many people think deaths only occur in those taking part in sport?
Many older studies base their figures on the number of young sudden deaths reported by the media. Often these are witnessed events of athletes during training or activity which is why these deaths are linked to sport. However, a significant proportion of young people die in their sleep or at rest. It is well established that media reports only represent a fraction of the number of actual young sudden cardiac deaths.
Why are the UK Government figures wrong?
The Government’s advisors ignored or refused to consider key research papers and reports from CRY. This is shocking. 80% of coroners in the UK refer cases to CRY’s specialist cardiac pathology services after a suspicious young sudden death. CRY supported nearly half of the bereaved families affected by a young sudden cardiac death in the UK in 2014. CRY operates the largest national cardiac screening programme for young people of its kind. Since 1995 it has screened more than 80,000 young people and it now screens more than 20,000 young people a year. CRY is a respected international leader in research into young sudden cardiac death and inherited cardiac conditions.
Isn’t young sudden cardiac death rare? Aren’t you just as likely to be killed by lightning?
Young sudden cardiac death is rare compared to cardiac deaths in the elderly and middle-aged, but it is not rare compared to the other most common causes of death in young people (e.g. road traffic accidents, suicides, accidental poisonings, etc – http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health1/leading-causes-of-death/2009/index.html). Many medical professionals and policy advisors still incorrectly think a young sudden cardiac death is as rare as being killed by lightning – which is simply wrong. This thinking is outdated, dangerous if applied to medical decision making and should have no place in modern scientific reports or policy recommendations.