Britain's first clinic dedicated to spotting hidden heart problems in young people has opened in Essex.
The new electrocardiogram (ECG) clinic at Colchester General Hospital is dedicated to the memory of Frinton youngster Andy Gard, who died as a fit and healthy 17-year-old in 1997, due to an undetected heart defect.
Apprentice footballers from Colchester United were among the first to be screened at the official opening of the facility, set up jointly by Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust and the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (Cry).
The driving force behind the project was Mr Gard's mother Caroline, a Cry volunteer who has raised thousands of pounds for ECG equipment to prevent more families having to experience the grief she felt after her son's tragic death.
Mrs Gard said: "The chances of having anything wrong are very slim and if a condition is found there are treatments available to manage it."
Published Tuesday June 1, 2004
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