THE tragedy of a young man who died suddenly from an undetected heart defect has inspired staff at a family-owned Winsford company to save lives.
Mum Deborah Dixon was told that her 23-year-old son Aaron's death could have been prevented if he had undergone an ECG test when he was in hospital a few years earlier after experiencing severe blackouts.
Workers at container refurbishment company UKCM have donated £5,000 to Cardiac Arrest in the Young (CRY), a charity that raises awareness of sudden adult death syndrome.
Their efforts will now help to save lives by paying for tests which can diagnose heart abnormalities.
CRY aims to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death in children. All funds go towards supporting new screening programmes within local communities which detect cardiac abnormalities as well as driving awareness and supporting families affected by the condition.
Deborah, from Tarporley, set up a memorial fund in memory of her son to raise money for a Cheshire-based screening programme.
“I want to keep Aaron’s memory alive and that is why I have set up a memorial fund within CRY," she said. "All the money I raise is used to fund screening days as I want to help save young people. No parents should have to go through the loss of their child."
CRY offers ECG and echocardiogram screening to all young people between the ages of 14 and 35. Most cardiac abnormalities can be simply diagnosed by having an ECG test. An echocardiogram is a scan which gives a detailed view of the structures of your heart and can show how well your heart is working
For extra clarity an echocardiogram ultrasound scan can also be done if there has been a young sudden death in the family.
Dr Steven Cox, chief executive of CRY, said: “The support of UKCM means a great deal to us and will help us to continue our campaign to reduce the number of young, sudden cardiac deaths and the heartbreak that follows such a tragedy.
"It is only through the generosity of our supporters that CRY is able to offer its various services and enable more young people to be screened across the country.”
Emma Elston MBE, UKCM founder and chief executive officer, said: “From the entire team at UKCM, we are delighted to contribute towards such a valuable and life changing charity. Through Deborah’s sheer hard work and determination, she has now funded screening for over 2,500 young people in schools and community spaces across Cheshire. We wish her the best of luck in her ongoing fundraising endeavours.”
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UKCM, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is the UK’s largest family-owned container repair and refurbishment company and is dedicated to the refurbishment of all types of waste and recycling containers.
The company works across the country offering waste companies and local authorities mobile repairs, as well as factory-based services at its head office on Road One at Winsford Industrial Estate.
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