Local teenager, Andrew Jackson has answered Fabrice Muamba's call for runners in this year's Great Manchester Run and has already raised over £2,500 for one of Fabrice's favourite charities, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
Andrew, 17, has a very personal reason for running for CRY. A keen sportsman, he collapsed last year during a hockey match. Andrew was out cold for 45 minutes and was rushed to hospital. He was initially diagnosed with long QT syndrome, a similar condition suffered by Fabrice. This diagnosis meant having a pacemaker fitted and a cessation to his sporting aspirations.
He picks up the story, "On the day I was meant to have the pacemaker fitted CRY stepped in. They had heard about my case and were concerned that I had been misdiagnosed. The charity sent me to London for a consultation with Professor Sanjay Sharma, a consultant cardiologist and consultant to CRY's board of directors. He was also cardiac consultant for the London Olympics – pretty impressive!
"Professor Sharma gave me a thorough consultation and confirmed the misdiagnosis – effectively giving me back my sporting life. It's for this reason that I wanted to raise awareness (and money) for this amazing charity.
"At least 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die every week of a Sudden Cardiac Death and a simple ECG could detect these heart conditions before they become fatal. CRY do free cardiac screenings at venues around the country to pick up possible heart conditions early, preventing sudden deaths in young people but they need more money to make this accessible to all.
"They also help people recover from cardiac events and help those families who have lost somebody through a sudden cardiac event through counselling and support."
Andrew, a former Alderley Edge Primary School pupil, now attends Cheadle Hulme School and lives in Over Peover. He captained the Alderley Edge U18 hockey team to the National Finals last month and plays cricket for both Cheshire and Alderley Edge Cricket Club.
Anyone wishing to support Andrew should visit his donation page.
