0:00:12 > 0:00:14I always knew I wanted to be on stage.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17But I couldn't have done it without certain special people
0:00:17 > 0:00:19who inspired me and helped show the way.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23One of those people was Matt Beadle.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26He was my dance teacher when I was at stage school.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29He had a successful career in West End musicals
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and was someone I really looked up to.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But mostly, I remember his massive smile.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38As a dancer, Matt was incredibly fit and seemed to be
0:00:38 > 0:00:40in perfect health.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42So, when I got the call to say that he'd dropped dead
0:00:42 > 0:00:45from a cardiac arrest, I was in shock.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I couldn't believe that something like that could happen
0:00:47 > 0:00:48to someone so young.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52But the really shocking thing is just how many
0:00:52 > 0:00:56apparently healthy young people die from sudden cardiac arrest
0:00:56 > 0:00:57each year.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00In fact, it happened to someone else I know.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Also, out of the blue.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06He was my big sister's friend and his name was Adam Donnelly.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Adam was really active. He swam, played football, played rugby.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14He was just a typical, healthy, fit teenager.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19He loved to be my big brother.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22We always seemed to be getting in trouble for one thing or another
0:01:22 > 0:01:25which was normally his idea.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29He was always looking out for me and making sure that I was OK.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35When Adam was 17, the family went on holiday to Cyprus with friends.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39One day, everyone went to the beach while Adam decided to stay behind
0:01:39 > 0:01:40to swim in the hotel pool.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We were snorkelling. We saw a friend running down
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and he said that there'd been an accident.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50I just knew that something bad had happened.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Adam was found floating in the pool.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55He was rushed to hospital, but his heart had stopped
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and doctors couldn't revive him.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02I remember a doctor said that Adam was dead on arrival at hospital.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And I remember hearing an awful noise.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10And the doctor got up and shut the door
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and I realised it was me making that noise.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Oh, sorry.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I couldn't believe that...
0:02:23 > 0:02:26a 17-year-old could die of a cardiac arrest
0:02:26 > 0:02:27with no warning.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34I don't think you ever get over losing a brother or a son.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35You learn to live with it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39You learn a new normal. So, what was normal before,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41that will never be the same.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48I remember the impact that Adam's death had on my sister.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52And I still can't quite believe that 12 young people each week
0:02:52 > 0:02:55die of undiagnosed heart conditions.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And that's why I support Cardiac Risk In The Young,
0:02:58 > 0:02:59or CRY.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It's the only charity devoted exclusively to supporting families
0:03:02 > 0:03:06following a sudden cardiac bereavement
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and working with the best medics and researchers in the world
0:03:09 > 0:03:11to prevent such deaths wherever possible.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16That was Ann's 40th, so that was the April before Adam died.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Adam's family found it hard to grieve
0:03:19 > 0:03:24without a real understanding of why they had lost him so unexpectedly.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Had Adam died in a road accident, you'd almost have somebody to blame
0:03:28 > 0:03:29or a reason for it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33But the way he died, I just couldn't understand it.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35It was just... I needed to know...
0:03:35 > 0:03:37why it had happened.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Adam's mother turned to CRY for help.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43They suggested testing the rest of the family for heart problems
0:03:43 > 0:03:46at their specialist clinic.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48The results were revealing.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Julie was diagnosed with an inherited condition
0:03:50 > 0:03:55called Brugada syndrome, which can trigger cardiac arrest.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59In one way, it was a relief because we then had a name
0:03:59 > 0:04:02for what had killed Adam. We had an answer.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06But then it opened up a whole lot of other questions as well
0:04:06 > 0:04:09because if I'd passed it onto one of my children,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12the likelihood was that I'd passed it onto both of them.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Tests confirmed that Sian also had Brugada syndrome.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But the good news was that doctors could offer her a treatment -
0:04:19 > 0:04:22an operation to fit a device called an ICD
0:04:22 > 0:04:26to regulate her heart and prevent a cardiac arrest.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30I've had three episodes where my ICD has worked
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and brought it back to a normal rhythm.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It's massively reassuring.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Being diagnosed has saved my life, 100%.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43It's a reminder of how important CRY's work is.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46If we hadn't been screened as a family,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I could have lost two children.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50That doesn't bear thinking about.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Sian's heart condition was picked up because of the tragic death
0:04:55 > 0:04:57of her brother.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01But CRY's focus is to identify life-threatening heart conditions
0:05:01 > 0:05:03before anyone dies.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The reason why there are over 600 sudden deaths each year
0:05:06 > 0:05:09is because young people who are fit and well are not routinely tested
0:05:09 > 0:05:11for heart conditions.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14So, CRY believe that a screening programme for everyone
0:05:14 > 0:05:16is the best way to save lives.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Professor Sanjay Sharma is CRY's head of screening and research.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25The National Health Service has not promoted
0:05:25 > 0:05:28or sponsored any form of screening in the young,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30and that's where CRY comes in.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33CRY's the largest screening organisation in the United Kingdom
0:05:33 > 0:05:34for the young.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Over the years, CRY has raised millions for medical research,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42developing effective methods for screening
0:05:42 > 0:05:44and identifying young people at risk.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I have little doubt that the money that CRY has spent
0:05:48 > 0:05:51in detecting and diagnosing young people,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53who have serious cardiac conditions,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56has gone a long way in preventing death
0:05:56 > 0:06:00and in gaining numerous decades of life for young people.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05As a teenager, my main love was football.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I was actually the record goal scorer for my school.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11James Bailey thought he had nothing to worry about
0:06:11 > 0:06:15when his school played host to one of CRY's mass screenings.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17One after one came out and everyone was fine
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and it was my turn and then I had the test
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and they broke the news to me that there was something wrong.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28The doctor told James that he had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome -
0:06:28 > 0:06:30a potentially lethal heart condition -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and he'd have to stop playing sport immediately.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36My first concern was that I had a football match that afternoon
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and then when the news properly sunk in, I realised
0:06:39 > 0:06:41the significance and the seriousness of the issue.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's extremely scary as a 17-year-old who had
0:06:44 > 0:06:47no idea that he had this problem.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Suddenly, you're faced with...
0:06:49 > 0:06:50death.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55James had further screening and was approved for an operation
0:06:55 > 0:06:58that held out the promise of a complete cure.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So, after the operation, I was back on the football field
0:07:01 > 0:07:03playing again like nothing had ever been wrong.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06To be free again and not have any of these worries,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08just go back to normal life, put all this behind me
0:07:08 > 0:07:09was fantastic.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And that was all thanks to being diagnosed.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14So, obviously, I owe my life to CRY.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21But for Adam's sister, the pain of losing him is still there
0:07:21 > 0:07:2211 years on.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25How do you think you and your family would have coped without CRY
0:07:25 > 0:07:27being there?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31The work they do, it's priceless. I mean, if their screening
0:07:31 > 0:07:35stops one other family going through what we've gone through then
0:07:35 > 0:07:37I think they've done their job.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40I wouldn't wish what we've gone through on anyone.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45So, being able to raise money and do those screening programmes,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48it's vital to save lives.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Last year, over 23,000 young people were screened by CRY.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56It's a completely free service that no-one else offers.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00But CRY rely completely on the generosity of its supporters
0:08:00 > 0:08:01to fund its work.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05CRY's ambition is for every young person to get the chance
0:08:05 > 0:08:07to be tested
0:08:07 > 0:08:09to prevent more tragic deaths,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11like Adam's
0:08:11 > 0:08:12or my teacher, Matt.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17This will only be possible with your help,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19so please give what you can today.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23To donate, go the website...
0:08:26 > 0:08:30To give by phone, call 0800 011 011.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31Calls are free from mobiles
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and landlines.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34You can also donate £10
0:08:34 > 0:08:35by texting...
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Texts cost £10, plus your
0:08:39 > 0:08:41standard network message charge.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43And the whole £10 goes to CRY.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Full terms and conditions
0:08:45 > 0:08:49can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50Or if you'd like to post a donation,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52please make your cheque payable
0:08:52 > 0:08:53to CRY and send it to...
0:08:56 > 0:08:57..writing CRY on the back
0:08:57 > 0:08:58of the envelope.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And if you want the charity to claim
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Gift Aid on your donation,
0:09:02 > 0:09:03please include an e-mail
0:09:03 > 0:09:05or postal address, so that they can
0:09:05 > 0:09:07send you a Gift Aid form.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08Thank you.