Football star praises team's fundraising

Staff at University Hospital have put their heads together to raise money for young people with heart problems. Angela Butler, who works in the Trust's outpatients department, has been raising funds for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) after she lost her son Nathan in 2006. 16-year-old Nathan died from an undiagnosed heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiiomyopathy, which affects around 10,000 people in the UK.

Angela, along with her colleague Graham Wood, raised £321 for the charity at a special quiz night at Newcastle & Hartshill Cricket Club. Former Stoke City captain Clive Clarke, who suffered a heart attack during a match two years ago, has backed a campaign to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death. Clive visited the Trust to thank Angela and her team for their fundraising efforts.

Angela said: "It's brilliant to have Clive here offering his support for what we are trying to achieve. He knows first-hand how important the charity is because of what happened to him in the past, and having a high profile person like him can only raise awareness for the cause. When Nathan died it was a big shock to everyone, but we want something good to come out of his life, and if we can help to save just one life in the future then it will have been worth it."

Clive said: "This is a charity which is very close to me. CRY is a charity which goes under the radar and I don't think that's right. Up to 12 young people die from sudden cardiac death every week and it can devastate families, so any money we can raise for the charity as well as awareness for the work it does can only be a good thing."

CRY, together with the Nathan Butler Memorial, will be holding a 'Young Person’s Screening Day' at Porthill Cricket Club on 27/28 March. The free screenings are aimed at people aged 14-35 years. To book a screening please visit the CRY website here.

(Pictured: Angela Butler, Clive Clarke, Denise Latham, Graham Wood)

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