On Monday night, December 15th, I had the privilege of being granted an adjournment debate, which I had requested to hold following many meetings and discussions with a constituent in Harlow and hearing their very own experience and story. The debate highlighted the very real issue of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, a struggle that has been advocated for through the CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) charity, and more specifically Clarissa’s Campaign for Young Hearts, which is headed up by a Harlow constituent, Maureen, who lost her great-niece, Clarissa, to this cause.
Cardiac arrest in young people has a significant impact on those who experience it and, in many cases, is completely preventable through additional screening measures and monitoring. Recently, screening at Cambridge University has just hit 1,000 young people, and with the huge impact that CRY is having, this number will continue to increase. That is just the start, with families only being screened once it is too late, and with those who are asymptomatic making up the majority of those at risk, the importance of this campaign cannot be overstated enough. The damage that is done to those who cannot access this screening is irrevocable and irreparable; there is no grief that can match losing a loved one so soon in life.
Clarissa was only 20 when she collapsed, just days before her 21st birthday, while on a hiking trip in France. It was later found that she had an undiagnosed life-threatening condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Young, fit, healthy, and completely asymptomatic to the condition that took her life. The gut-wrenching pain, distress, and the hole left in the lives of those that Clarissa so positively impacted is unmatched, and she will be remembered by her friends and family.
Her mum, Hilary, spoke with me and opened up about the incredible young person her daughter was, she said:
“Despite a journey cut tragically short, we want to celebrate her achievements alongside her cohort as it should have been. We know that we would have been very proud of her today, and we remain proud of her dedication, determination, and resilience as she set out to be the very best she could be.
“She put everything into her studies, the friends she made here, and the staff that supported her along the way, including while she was on her year abroad.
“We are grateful for the happy times she clearly took away with her to the next life.”
Sadly, this is not a standalone case, with 12 young people dying each week in the UK from undiagnosed heart conditions, and 80% of those showing no symptoms at all, resulting in the first, and only, sign being sudden cardiac death.
The CRY campaign asks for five key things: a national NHS screening pathway for active young people, routine ECGs for young people, equitable access to these processes, allowing emerging evidence to be considered to remove outdated barriers within the NSC, and through all this the one true key aim – prioritising prevention. Without question, prevention is crucial in this to bring down the number of deaths and ensure that this tragic event is as limited as possible.
These requests are simple, accessible, and within reach, and I hope they will be considered in the NHS 10-year plan, recognising the lives that could be saved through these measures. I believe this is an area where thoughtful consideration could make a profound difference in preventing avoidable tragedies and safeguarding young people’s lives.
Through being granted this adjournment debate, I recognised the sheer number of people experiencing this painful situation in life as they came forward to me. Colleagues I work with, within the parliamentary estate, confiding in me about their own experiences and losses. A situation no one truly believes they will find themselves in until it does happen to them. My hope is that, in bringing forward this incredibly important campaign to the Chamber, it aids in the progression and reduction of sudden cardiac death in young people.
