AARON Dixon was just 23 when he died on September 4, 2011.

He had a heart defect that he knew nothing about.

Aaron’s family and friends were left devastated by his death and more than 450 mourners attended his funeral.

Twelve months after losing her son, Deborah Dixon was advised by the coroner to get in touch with Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) – a charity aimed at preventing sudden cardiac deaths.

The charity raises awareness, supports bereaved families and carries out research into undetected heart defects.

It also holds screening sessions for young adults, something which Deborah wishes she’d known about sooner, and she decided to set up the Aaron Dixon Memorial Fund to raise money for CRY, so they could hold more screening days and help more young people.

HS 31 Oct 2022 Cash for Charities Northwich 3.11.22 Debbie Dixon, left, with Ellie Bass - one of the hundreds of young people to be screened

HS 31 Oct 2022 Cash for Charities Northwich 3.11.22 Debbie Dixon, left, with Ellie Bass - one of the hundreds of young people to be screened

It’s this charity that Deborah set up in her son’s memory that has been chosen as Northwich’s representative in the Northwich and Winsford Guardian’s Cash for Charities campaign.

The Gannett Foundation, which is our parent company’s charitable arm, is giving away £128,000 to support local charities across the country and we have a £16,000 share to distribute across the north west.

Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, you are invited to collect tokens printed inside the paper which can then be sent to collection points across the area or posted in to us.

Each token collected will be used to allocate the cash to the nominated charity – so if The Aaron Dixon Memorial Fund collects 50 per cent of all tokens collected it will receive 50 per cent of the £16,000.

Any money that the Northwich charity receives will go towards funding the six scheduled screening days in Northwich throughout 2023.

Deborah said: “When I contacted CRY after Aaron passed away, I was shocked to learn that at least 12 young adults were losing their lives every week due to undetected heart defects, and 80 per cent of these had no prior symptoms.

“Something as simple as an ECG can highlight these defects and save lives.

“If I’d known these statistics both my children would have been screened.

“I couldn’t save Aaron from something we knew nothing about but I could help save other young lives in his memory.”

Deborah Dixon set up the charity in memory of her son Aaron

Deborah Dixon set up the charity in memory of her son Aaron

With no national screening programme available on the NHS, Deborah had to start fundraising so that she could offer free heart screening for young adults in Cheshire and she held the first sessions in 2014.

To date, 4,805 young adults have been screened and 168 referred for further investigation in Aaron’s memory.

To get this week’s token turn to page 8 in the Northwich and Winsford Guardian.

The deadline for votes is Sunday, November 20.

You can post your tokens or drop them off at collection points which are located at the following places:

• Vale Royal Abbey Arms, Chester Road, Northwich, CW8 2HB

• Fresh Floral Design, 289 Chester Road, Hartford, CW8 1QL

• The Cutting Lounge, 228 London Road, Northwich, CW9 8AQ

• Willowgreen Home & Gifts, 463 London Road, Davenham, CW9 8NA

• Greenwood Lighting, 59 Mere Lane, Sandiway, CW8 2NR

• Premier Stores Cuddington, 109-113 Norley Road, Cuddington, CW8 2LE

• Tesco Extra Superstore, Manchester Road, Northwich, CW9 5LY

• Sainsbury’s, Venables Road, Northwich, CW9 5RT

• Waitrose, 22 London Road, Northwich, CW9 5HD