A pioneering screening programme to identify undiagnosed heart conditions in the young was attended by more than 100 young people in Sutton Coldfield on Sunday (July 21st) – and potentially saved three lives.
The event, run by CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), follows funding from the local Wylde Green Rotary Club – and fundraising by friends and family of Anthony Lane, who died suddenly of cardiac arrest aged just 26.
It is a project particularly personal to the Club’s President Paul Lane, from Lichfield, who is also Anthony’s father.
Paul said: “Penny and I are very grateful for the support on the day of our family, friends and members of the Rotary Club of Wylde Green together with funding from the Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.
“It was, for us, a day of emotional highs and lows and we were totally humbled by the huge support we have and continue to receive from everyone who learns of Anthony’s story. This would make him very proud, we have potentially saved at least three young lives but have also continued the quest of the CRY charity, and all the other bereaved families who are affected, to increase awareness.”
The screening day, hosted free of charge by Sutton Coldfield Town FC, is to become the first of many for the area, thanks to Rotary grants and fundraising campaigns headed up by Paul, and was attended by Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell and Wylde Green Councillor Alex Yip and his wife, deputy mayor Cindy Yip as well as Rotary District Governor Denzil Williams and Assistant Governor Sushil Nand.
CRY, which was adopted as the Wylde Green Rotary Club Charity of the Year, works to prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research and supporting affected families – something he and his family have been very grateful for.
Paul, who has been a Rotarian for 20 years, added: “One Saturday morning in October 2022 Anthony was on his turbo trainer bike at home, exercising alone. His partner returned home after shopping to find him unresponsive on the floor. West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance attended but unfortunately Anthony had already passed away.
“It is believed that Anthony had an undiagnosed heart condition, from which he had no symptoms. This led us to CRY and we learned more about the research they’re doing and their lobbying of politicians to try and get the UK government to test young people between the ages of 14 and 34.
“It is likely that Anthony’s heart ‘short-circuited’ and went into a lethal arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation that causes sudden cardiac death if not treated immediately with CPR and defibrillation.”
A talented mechanical engineer, Anthony was proud to land his dream job within the Formula One industry at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Northamptonshire, after graduating from Birmingham University in 2019. He was Technical Director for the University of Birmingham Racing (UBR) Team that competes at Silverstone each year. That year the Team came second, to-date the best results the Team have gained in its 26-year history in the international, yearly competition.
Colleagues at Mercedes at Brixworth have dedicated an annual Karting Cup to Anthony’s memory. It is presented by Paul and his wife Penny and raises money for Anthony’s Memorial Fund. In a special memorial tribute, his name was added to the nose cone of drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russells’s cars in the 2022 F1 Mexican Grand Prix.
Among those being screened was Anthony’s friend Charlie Hodgson, who said: “Anthony and I studied together at Birmingham University. He was a true engineer, thorough and meticulous in everything he did. He was an incredibly kind person and a very good friend.”
Every week in the UK, around 12 young people, between ages of 14 and 35, die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. 80% of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.
CRY uses a very simple, effective and non-invasive way of diagnosing most cardiac abnormalities. It is a quick, painless and affordable procedure called an electrocardiogram (ECG), which is reviewed by a specially trained medic. If a young person is found to have an abnormality, CRY will also swiftly refer them for Echocardiogram screening (ultrasound) and ongoing, more in-depth investigations, as necessary.
Further grant support from Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust has now ensured there is enough money to fund nine annual screening sessions in the town at a cost of £6,500.
CRY’S CEO Dr Steven Cox said: “Once again, I’d like to extend my thanks to the Wylde Green Rotary Club and the wider local community for raising the funds for this first cardiac screening session, in memory of Anthony Lane. This tremendous, ongoing support will ensure that our team will be able to return to the area again, to test the hearts of more and more young people, ensuring that underlying heart conditions in young people, aged between 14 and 35, can be identified and treated. Together, we can save young lives.”
Paul, who now lives in Lichfield, added: “Anthony was a perfectly healthy young person who, like all young people, didn’t go to the doctor and who thought he was invincible. One minute he was perfectly fit on his turbo trainer, the next minute he’s gone.
“It is so tragic that this happened but we like to think of this project as a lasting memorial to him. As far as Rotary is concerned, this is doing two things – it is potentially saving young lives and, from a purely selfish standpoint, is promoting Rotary.”
Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/anthonylanecry?utm_source=whatsapp to support Anthony’s friends in their next fundraiser.