CONEY Hill Rugby Club is the latest name on our Stop the Heartbreak roll of honour after the death of their star player.
Yesterday, we launched the campaign to raise awareness of heart problems in the young, in conjunction with the charity CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.
Our aim is to support their work screening people aged 14-35 for heart defects, raising as much money and awareness of the issue as possible.
At the moment, 12 young people in the UK are dying every week because of heart problems they don't know they have, or which have not been diagnosed.
Coney Hill Under-16s player Ty Townsley died in his sleep in January this year after, unknown to him, suffering a heart attack at least a week earlier.
His club want Ty's tragedy to have a lasting impact and have already begun working with his mum Becky to try and get a mobile heart screening unit to the clubhouse – something The Citizen is hoping to secure too.
Chris Dee coaches Coney Hill's Under-16s side and knew Ty well.
"Without a shadow of a doubt I support this completely," he said.
"What happened to Ty was devastating and it's worrying for 16-year-old kids who hear about that kind of thing happening to one of their friends.
"Ty's mum is trying to get a screening unit to the club and we'd be delighted by that, I think it's a really important step.
"Kids aged 15 or 16 aren't going to know about heart problems so it's vital that we're raising awareness of what's happening."
Coney Hill RFC's president Eddie Rooney has given his full backing too.
"Twelve young kids a week are dying because of this – it's unbelievable," he said.
"Ty, and Dominic Cullen at Matson Rugby Club, were two of them and it just feels like it's happening more and more often. It's a great idea – mobile screening units need to be going to grass roots sports clubs every weekend, and schools on week days, to do these checks."
The Citizen is creating a roll of honour of sports clubs, schools and youth organisations prepared to back Stop the Heartbreak – either simply by lending their endorsement or coming on board to help raise funds and awareness.
Another club signing up is Berry Hill RFC in the Forest of Dean.
Their manager Jamie Elsmore said: "We try to advise our players about health and safety but there's no limit to what you can tell them to look out for. I would fully endorse the campaign, if we can get heart checks for our youth players – and our adults – at the club that is something we would be extremely keen on."
CRY is in its 18th year in 2013 and has just launched its own awareness raising campaign, urging people to request their MP joins its All Party Parliamentary Group.
CRY's work involves raising awareness, screening, researching cardiac issues and offering support to those affected.
