A MOTHER who has campaigned for improved medical tests since her son dropped dead from undiagnosed heart failure has welcome the launch of Scotland's first cardiac assessment programme for young amateur athletes, writes Bob Burgess.
But Wilma Gunn from Selkirk says the project – based at the Sports Medicine Centre at Hampden Park in Glasgow – has to be extended.
Wilma and Kenneth Gunn's son, Cameron, died aged 19 in 1991 while playing football in Galashiels. She later founded
the charity Scottish H.A.R.T. in a drive to have all sporting youngsters tested for heart dangers and helped launch a petition which was presented to Holyrood politicians.
Last week Scotland's health minister, Nicola Sturgeon, launched the Cardiac Assessment in Young Athletes (CAYA) screening programme.
She commented: "Although sudden cardiac death is very rare it robs us of seemingly healthy young people.
"This pilot means young Scots will soon be able to take part in sport with a greater degree of safety – and help avoid the tragedy of further preventable deaths."
The £200,000 pilot project will run for two years and is a joint venture between the Scottish Government, the Scottish Football Association and the University of Glasgow.
Mrs Gunn told TheSouthern: "This is only a pilot scheme of course and we are not fully there yet. I believe that we can get the Scottish Rugby Union on board as well as the SFA and get another fixed base at Murrayfield. It would also be a great boost to get a mobile unit that goes to the little clubs across Scotland and check out hearts of youngsters in all sports. Having said that, this is a giant step."
Stewart Hills, professor of cardiovascular and exercise medicine at Glasgow University and who heads the Hampden centre, says screening has been effective in other countries. He added: "Any young person's death is a tragedy, but it can be even more difficult to accept when that person seems fit and taking part in healthy pursuits. In addition to offering voluntary cardiovascular screening, this project will also be an important source of research data to help develop future expertise."
Assessment programmes are offered to athletes in the USA and Italy. The screening service here will be offered to the Scottish Institute of Sport, regional sporting institutes and governing bodies.
The objective, according to Holyrood, is to provide access to testing for players and competitors 16 years and over.
The full article contains 410 words and appears in Southern Reporter newspaper.
