Family's campaign provide free heart screening in Leeds for 100 young people
Fundraising and campaigning efforts by a Yorkshire family in memory of their daughter has led to 100 young people have received potentially life-saving heart screenings.
Kevin Wilson and his wife Carly organised the free cardiac screening session following the loss of their daughter, Anja, who died aged 19 from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Funded through Anja's Memorial Fund and delivered in partnership with cardiac charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), the event aimed to raise awareness of cardiac risk in young people and improve access to potentially life-saving screening.
The screening session was hosted at Kevin’s employer Zenith, at its Kirkstall Forge headquarters in Leeds where 100 young people aged 14 to 35 accessed specialist cardiac screening. The checks help identify hidden heart conditions and provide reassurance, advice and onward support where needed.
Kevin Wilson said: “It’s been a little over a year since we lost our daughter Anja to an undiagnosed heart condition, a loss that has changed our lives forever.
"While nothing can ever fill the void she has left, Carly and I are determined to turn our grief into something positive and create a lasting legacy in her memory.
"The support we have received from colleagues across Zenith and the Executive team has been truly overwhelming, and it has given us the strength and opportunity to work with CRY to raise awareness of hidden heart conditions in young people and provide access to potentially life-saving screening.
"Our ambition is simple, no family should have to experience the heartbreak that we have endured. By helping more young people access screening and increasing awareness of cardiac risk, we hope to identify conditions that may otherwise go undetected and, ultimately, save lives. If even one family is spared the devastating loss we have experienced, then every fundraising effort will have been worthwhile.”
Stuart Price, Chief People and Transformation Officer at Zenith, added: “Kevin and Carly’s dedication to creating a lasting legacy for Anja is incredibly inspiring.
"Their efforts have helped bring this important screening event to Zenith and provide colleagues and their families with access to potentially life-saving checks.
"Supporting our people is central to our culture, and we’re proud to use our partnership with CRY to raise awareness, promote wellbeing, and help make a positive difference in the lives of others.”
CRY works to prevent sudden cardiac deaths in young people aged 14 to 35 through research, awareness campaigns and cardiac screening programmes that can identify potentially serious heart conditions before symptoms appear. The charity also provides specialist support to families affected by the loss of a young loved one.