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Welsh Hearts established the The Ben McDonald Heart Screening Fund but is now working in partnership with Calon Heart Screening, with the aim of screening every young heart in Wales for heart abnormalities. The fund was set up in Ben’s memory to offer free heart screening to members of the public aged between 8 and 45 in a bid to reduce the hundreds of deaths every year caused by undiagnosed heart conditions.
Every week in the UK, 12 apparently fit and healthy young people die from undiagnosed cardiac conditions. It’s also estimated that one in every 200 people who have their heart tested will be identified as having a potentially life-threatening heart condition.
Sharon says:
“I was disappointed to hear the Cardiff Half Marathon was cancelled this year. As a charity, our fundraising activities have been severely impacted by the pandemic. But our work is just as vital as ever, and we’re doing all we can to ensure nobody dies of heart conditions that could have been prevented or treated.
I have had the privilege of getting to know Ben’s parents and family over the last two years, and they will be in my thoughts every step of the way! Last year I had the honour of walking with The McDonald family on the first anniversary of Ben’s death. The 13.1 mile course took me 3.5 hours to complete, and and it gave me an incredible sense of achievement get to the finish line, alongside Ben’s family and friends.”
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