Title: Lincoln Family Promotes Cardiac Screenings Following Son’s Devastating Loss
The Harper family, residents of Lincoln, are transforming their personal heartache into a life-saving initiative following the untimely passing of 26-year-old Mike Harper at the Great Bristol Run last year. Mike, a Lincoln native, tragically suffered from a fatal cardiac arrest on 19 May 2024. To honour his memory, the Harpers have partnered with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to advocate cardiac screenings for the younger generation. Recently, CRY organised 200 complimentary screenings at Bishop Grosseteste University with the goal of identifying undiagnosed cardiac conditions in individuals between the ages of 14 and 35.
Mike Harper’s father, Roy, underscores the importance of raising awareness at both the local and national level to prevent families from suffering similar devastating losses. The charity underlines the alarming statistic that 12 apparently healthy youngsters in the UK fall victim to undiagnosed cardiac conditions each week, often without having exhibited any prior symptoms. Dr Dimitra Maritsa, who was involved in conducting the screenings, highlighted the critical nature of these check-ups which can detect heart conditions in a considerable number of young people.
Mike’s sister, Fiona Harper, articulates that screening even one individual can have a significant impact. Their mother, Tracey, urges the NHS to provide these critical screenings and emphasises the pressing need to tackle the issue of preventable young deaths. The Harper family’s ardent hope is that their endeavours will encourage larger screening numbers amongst Lincolnshire’s youth, potentially safeguarding numerous lives.
This article was developed by The Lincoln Post, drawing from the original report by bbc.com.
