OVER 200 people received free heart screenings recently, thanks to the fundraising efforts of a Hartland family.

Brenda Luckett and her family have been fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) since her son Martyn died of an undiagnosed heart condition in 2005.

They set up a memorial fund in Martyn’s name, and have held various fundraising events to pay for the annual screenings.

This year the screenings were held at Pilton Community College for people aged from 14 to 35, and over 200 were screened.

The screening involves an ECG test, a simple way to identify the majority of abnormalities that can cause sudden deaths in young people. It’s a quick and non-invasive test and, if necessary, a further echocardiogram can be taken on the same day for clarity.

Although the screening weekend was emotional, Brenda said it was another successful event. “There were so many people there that were grateful. A lot of people didn’t realise we had to raise the money and didn’t realise what had happened.“

This year the screening cost £7,000, but as of next year it will cost £10,000.

However, Brenda is still determined to raise the money for the screenings to take place in 2019, and asked if anyone is willing to help fundraise or has any ideas of how they can generate more money, to contact her on 07881 476669.

Dr Steven Cox, CRY chief executive, said: “Brenda Luckett, as well as her friends, family and the entire local community have worked so hard to raise the funds needed to bring cardiac screening to Devon in memory of Martyn — and as a result, they were able to screen a further 208 young people, aged 14-35, recently.

“Of this, nine were referred for further investigations – highlighting the importance of CRY’s screening programme. Eighteen screenings have now been funded locally in memory of Martin Luckett, leading to the expert testing of 1,623 young people in total, reflecting Brenda’s amazing hard work and commitment.

“Every week, 12 apparently fit and healthy young (aged 35 and under) people in the UK die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition - a statistic that is believed to be a conservative estimate. In 80% of these cases, there will have been no signs or symptoms of a heart defect until it is too late. CRY’s screening programme now tests over 27,000 young people each year.

“Brenda has been able to see beyond her own devastating experience to raise funds and awareness for CRY — and to play a vital part in preventing other families from having to endure the same overwhelming grief as she and her family have. We owe so much to our supporters and will continue to work hard on their behalf to ensure we can reduce the incidence of young sudden cardiac death.”