Today FM presenter Louise Duffy yesterday, (Wednesday, 28th April 2012) got into the beat for the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon with Dr. Deirdre Ward, Director of the CRYP Centre in Tallaght to make a final call to all its female supporters around the country to sign up to “run for CRY” before registration closes. The closing date for the marathon, which takes place on the June Bank holiday Monday, is 20th April or when the maximum number of entries is reached. The charity hopes to attract up to 1,200 women of all ages to run with the aim of raising €250,000 to support the charity’s ongoing work.
Dr. Deirdre Ward said, “The mini marathon is one of the main events in our fundraising calendar and I can’t wait to do it again this year. With so much more public awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) since the unfortunate professional footballer Fabrice Muamba went into cardiac arrest on St. Patrick’s Day we are getting many more calls from worried people who want to be screened. The Centre for Cardiac Risk in Younger Persons carries out cardiac testing free of charge, however, as we receive no government funding, CRY are responsible for keeping this service going. At the moment we can evaluate up to 1,500 people per year, however with more funding for staff we could see up to 3,000 people per year. Ultimately we need more funding to retain the service, or to be in a position to consider extending the service to sports screening as we would like.”
Louise Duffy said, “I am a big supporter of CRY. They provide a fantastic service which helps save lives and also provides assistance for anyone who has lost someone to SCD. I would like to call on any ladies out there who would like to walk, jog or run the mini marathon on the June Bank Holiday weekend to choose CRY as their designated charity. The evenings are getting brighter providing the perfect opportunity to get fit and train with some friends for the 10k marathon. Don’t forget, entries close on 20th April!”
All participants must enter on the official entry form. Those who have entered and would like to run for CRY can call Lucia on 01-4525482 or email lebbs@cry.ie to receive their sponsorship pack.
CRY is an Irish registered charity, which was founded in 2002. Funds raised are used by the charity to support families who have lost a relative to sudden cardiac death (SCD), to raise awareness of the conditions that cause SCD, and to fund the activities of the Centre for Cardiac Risk in Younger Persons (CRYP) in Tallaght Hospital. This Centre provides comprehensive cardiac evaluation of those who may be at risk from SCD either because of family history or worrying symptoms. The service is available to anyone in the country (via GP referral) and is free to patient. The Centre receives no direct Government funding.
Please see www.cry.ie.
Some facts about Sudden Cardiac Death:
- An estimated 60-80 people aged 1-35 years die of SCD every year in Ireland
- SCD may occur because of underlying heart muscle abnormality, electrical disorders, or other structural problems
- In approximately half the cases the cause may be inherited – close relatives may have a 1 in 2 chance of inheriting the same condition and may also be at risk
- Conditions that cause SCD cannot be cured, but if diagnosed risk of death can be significantly reduced
- Best treatment of those potentially at risk includes expert assessment, access to genetic testing and psychological support and counselling – the CRYP Centre is the only clinic in the country that provides a complete service, and it is free to patient regardless of where they live.
- Almost 1500 patients can be seen each year in the CRYP Centre.