Family of man who died of sudden cardiac arrest aged 26 host free heart screening in Wolverhampton
The grieving mother of a man who died after going into cardiac arrest has, along with the rest of the family, been fundraising to organise free screenings in the hope of preventing 'another tragic loss'.
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Resham Nagra lost her son Pardeep in April 2008 when he was just 26 years old after he went into sudden cardiac arrest, despite not having any previous heart issues.
The young man from Wolverhampton played ice hockey, ran his own business, and was about to get married.
Through their grief, Pardeep's family have become passionate campaigners since his death, organising screenings for other young people to check their heart health and 'prevent another tragic loss'.
Pardeep's brother Kulbir, who has been nominated for a Pride of Britain award, has been raising money through a memorial fund with the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity.
On March 2, the Nagra family and CRY held a free heart screening day at The Grand Palace in Wolverhampton, where anyone aged 14-35 could walk in and check up on their heart health.
Around 100,000 people are on the waiting list to receive a screening through CRY, partially thanks to the Nagra family's campaigning.
Mother Resham Nagra was happy that people attended the event and that much-needed awareness was raised.
"It went really well, we screened 94 youngsters," she said. "We would encourage screening as much as possible for youngsters. We want to raise as much awareness as possible. Everyone thinks cardiac arrest doesn't happen to young children but it does. The more awareness we raise, the more likely we can prevent another tragic loss to another family."
Brother Kulbir spoke about the importance of such an event.
"My brother passed when he was 26 years old," Kulbir said. "When he was walking with friends, he passed away through sudden death syndrome.
"With the charity [CRY] being so small, we didn't know about it. What CRY are doing, and this fundraising, allows free heart tests for those who want it. We recommend it to anyone who is fit and healthy because my brother was a fit and healthy young person, but it still caught him off-guard. It devastated the family."
The family are particularly keen to work with sports clubs and schools, as they want all children and young adults to get screened.
They are planning to visit Pardeep's old school this summer, adding that the simple test could benefit other families and "save them from heartbreak".
