St Johnston Cricket club put their bats down to put their hearts to the test last weekend.
The cricketers were the most recent Irish club randomly selected as winners to undergo vital and potentially life-saving heart screenings as part of ‘The Big Screen’ initiative by laya healthcare.
Over the weekend, forty-five members attended the screening that was held at their clubhouse.
The cardiac screening that each of the players received can help detect underlying conditions that may lead to or cause Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), heart attacks and other cardiac-related conditions.
Founded in 1898, St Johnston Cricket Club has played competitive league cricket with the North West of Ireland Cricket Union since 1922.
The club caters for a wide range of age groups and levels with an underage boy’s teams, a ladies team and adult men’s teams. At the moment the club is thriving with a strong youth element. Over the years they have had players from the club representing the North West region, Ulster and even Ireland.
During the club’s golden era in the 1980s Paul Wallace played for the Irish men’s team and this year the club was extremely proud to have Ryan Macbeth represent them on the Irish under 15 team in their tournament in England.
Players can really benefit from the reassurance of having cardiac screening, this reassurance is being offered by laya healthcare’s ‘Big Screen’ campaign, Ireland’s biggest-ever free mobile cardiac screening initiative, which is open to all sports and social clubs in Ireland.
Gail Macbeth, St Johnston Cricket Club, said: “We were delighted when we heard we were one of the lucky winners of the laya healthcare ‘Big Screen’ initiative. We would encourage all clubs across the country to enter as preventing SADS is so important, and strikes the sporting world too often. Thanks laya healthcare for ensuring we have healthy hearts. ”
Dónal Clancy, Managing Director of laya healthcare said “Approximately 100 young people under 35 years die in Ireland from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) each year. That’s 100 people too many in our view. It can strike without warning and affect super-fit athletes as well as ordinary young people.
At laya healthcare we are investing close to €1 million to help increase public awareness of SADS and make a difference by providing free screenings to our 475,000 members. Sports and social clubs across Ireland, no matter how big or small, can nominate themselves for screenings until the campaign ends in November. The good news is that most of the conditions that cause SADS can be treated so if we save even one life with our ‘Big Screen’ campaign, then it will all have been worth it.”
Cardiac screening involves an ECG carried out by a medical doctor, along with a thorough clinical examination. The results of the test are reviewed and reported by a consultant Cardiologist.
The laya healthcare ‘Big Screen’ campaign is open to all types of sports and social clubs, no matter how big or small, or what level of skill or fitness is involved. Whether you are a rugby club, swimming group, dance troop, hill walking society, karate club, GAA club or more, laya healthcare is calling on you today to get involved!
To nominate your club for free heart screenings please visit www.facebook.com/LayaHealthcare, click ‘like’ to find out more and nominate your club. For more information visit www.layahealthcare.ie/bigscreencomp
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