Leicester Tigers were proud to welcome the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, an official club charity, during SADS Awareness Week.
Friday’s home match against Harlequins also hosted a CPR demonstration from Heartsafe, demonstrating what can be done if you witness a cardiac arrest.
The Trust was set up in memory of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) victim Joe Humphries, aged just 14, who collapsed and died while out jogging near home in Rothley in October 2012.
To mark SADS Awareness Week, the Trust has launched two powerful and informative posters to make more people aware of the dangers of SADS. These are on display in surgeries, schools and other public venues.
The medical orientated poster has a particular emphasis on fainting, which is one of the key symptoms of a cardiac arrest.
Dr Ffion Davies, consultant specialist in emergency medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and JHMT’s SADS expert, said: “Why are we holding a SADS awareness week? Most people don’t think of teenagers and young adults dying of a heart condition but the SAD fact is that it happens to 12 people a week in the UK.
“These types of heart conditions happen in healthy people and are different from heart disease associated with smoking, blood pressure and so on.
“This is called Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. ‘Arrhythmic’ means the heart goes into an abnormal rhythm which can result in either a faint or a full cardiac arrest.
“If we were all better at recognising strange faints as possibly serious (that’s medical staff and general public) we could prevent many of the deaths.
“If everyone in the UK was trained to do CPR (chest compressions) we could increase the survival rate. If more places in the UK had defibrillator machines in public places, we could increase survival rates.”
Think heart! Learn CPR. Call 999 if you’re not sure – seconds count.
How can the Tigers Family get involved?
To support JHMT’s break the silence on SADS campaign:
Print off both the posters from the JHMT website to display at work or at home and share the link with friends and family.
Learn more about SADS and the symptoms to look for. The Trust website has all the information and details of how you can be better prepared to save a life. Learn lifesaving CPR skills and how to use a defibrillator.
Join the Trust’s army of Facebook, Twitter and website followers.
Tweet a message of support for JHMT’s campaign to save young heart beats during SADS Awareness Week and #breakthesilence
Join Joe’s growing army of volunteers who help at local events and raise vital funds in JHMT’s fight to reduce the incidence of this group of heart conditions from claiming the lives of other young people.
For more information, see:
www.jhmt.org.uk
Twitter - @JHMTorguk
Facebook /JHMTorguk
email – [email protected]
SADS is about subtle diseases of young hearts. These cause the heart to suddenly go into an abnormal rhythm. The majority of SADS deaths are the result of irregularities or abnormalities of the heartbeat, which are known as arrhythmias.
Most SADS cases have a genetic origin, typically emerging during the teens and early 20s, though SADS can also occur for the first time in a family.
Screening is available. If a problem is detected it can be monitored and treated.
A child/young adult should see a doctor if they have experienced any of the following: Family history of unexpected, unexplained sudden death (under the age of 40); do you get unusually short of breath during or shortly after exercise (not explained by just being unfit)?; Do you get palpitations (heart racing fast, missing beats, fluttering sensation, irregular pulse rate, thumping sensation in chest)? Fainting as a result of excitement or distress.
The second annual SADS Awareness Conference, which examines sudden heart deaths in young people, is being organised by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust in conjunction with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, is at Welford Road stadium this Tuesday (October 14).
More than 35 delegates attended last year, and bookings are already up on that number this year. But medical professionals are being reminded that they can still join the conference to find out more about conditions such as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). Apply online at http://www.jhmt.org.uk
For further information on SADS please visit www.jhmt.org.uk/sads
Together, Let’s Break the Silence on SADS.
Friday’s home match against Harlequins also hosted a CPR demonstration from Heartsafe, demonstrating what can be done if you witness a cardiac arrest.
The Trust was set up in memory of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) victim Joe Humphries, aged just 14, who collapsed and died while out jogging near home in Rothley in October 2012.
To mark SADS Awareness Week, the Trust has launched two powerful and informative posters to make more people aware of the dangers of SADS. These are on display in surgeries, schools and other public venues.
The medical orientated poster has a particular emphasis on fainting, which is one of the key symptoms of a cardiac arrest.
Dr Ffion Davies, consultant specialist in emergency medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and JHMT’s SADS expert, said: “Why are we holding a SADS awareness week? Most people don’t think of teenagers and young adults dying of a heart condition but the SAD fact is that it happens to 12 people a week in the UK.
“These types of heart conditions happen in healthy people and are different from heart disease associated with smoking, blood pressure and so on.
“This is called Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. ‘Arrhythmic’ means the heart goes into an abnormal rhythm which can result in either a faint or a full cardiac arrest.
“If we were all better at recognising strange faints as possibly serious (that’s medical staff and general public) we could prevent many of the deaths.
“If everyone in the UK was trained to do CPR (chest compressions) we could increase the survival rate. If more places in the UK had defibrillator machines in public places, we could increase survival rates.”
Think heart! Learn CPR. Call 999 if you’re not sure – seconds count.
How can the Tigers Family get involved?
To support JHMT’s break the silence on SADS campaign:
Print off both the posters from the JHMT website to display at work or at home and share the link with friends and family.
Learn more about SADS and the symptoms to look for. The Trust website has all the information and details of how you can be better prepared to save a life. Learn lifesaving CPR skills and how to use a defibrillator.
Join the Trust’s army of Facebook, Twitter and website followers.
Tweet a message of support for JHMT’s campaign to save young heart beats during SADS Awareness Week and #breakthesilence
Join Joe’s growing army of volunteers who help at local events and raise vital funds in JHMT’s fight to reduce the incidence of this group of heart conditions from claiming the lives of other young people.
For more information, see:
www.jhmt.org.uk
Twitter - @JHMTorguk
Facebook /JHMTorguk
email – [email protected]
SADS is about subtle diseases of young hearts. These cause the heart to suddenly go into an abnormal rhythm. The majority of SADS deaths are the result of irregularities or abnormalities of the heartbeat, which are known as arrhythmias.
Most SADS cases have a genetic origin, typically emerging during the teens and early 20s, though SADS can also occur for the first time in a family.
Screening is available. If a problem is detected it can be monitored and treated.
A child/young adult should see a doctor if they have experienced any of the following: Family history of unexpected, unexplained sudden death (under the age of 40); do you get unusually short of breath during or shortly after exercise (not explained by just being unfit)?; Do you get palpitations (heart racing fast, missing beats, fluttering sensation, irregular pulse rate, thumping sensation in chest)? Fainting as a result of excitement or distress.
The second annual SADS Awareness Conference, which examines sudden heart deaths in young people, is being organised by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust in conjunction with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, is at Welford Road stadium this Tuesday (October 14).
More than 35 delegates attended last year, and bookings are already up on that number this year. But medical professionals are being reminded that they can still join the conference to find out more about conditions such as sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). Apply online at http://www.jhmt.org.uk
For further information on SADS please visit www.jhmt.org.uk/sads
Together, Let’s Break the Silence on SADS.
