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A new not-for-profit organisation which provides cardiac screening to teenagers and young adults is inviting people in our region to attend its latest session.

TOBE-Heartsafe – which also offers CPR training and provides defibrillators to schools and sports clubs – will be running its screening session and awareness day at Oundle School this Saturday (May 13).

The organisation was created out of tragedy in July 2019 when 22-year-old Toby Berlevy – known as ‘Tobe’ – was found dead on his bedroom floor by his mum, Sam Richards.

TOBE-Heartsafe (TOBE) was created out of a tragedy following the sudden death of Toby Berlevy, a fit and healthy 22-year-old known to friends and family as ‘Tobe’.

As she approached her son, Sam saw that his lips were black and his body was rigid: “I’d never seen a dead body before,” she said, “but he was unmistakably dead.”

The devastated mum remembered thinking: “How on earth could my healthy son drop dead without warning?”

Toby’s death was registered as SADS - Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.

At the time of his death, the young man - who was training to become a Royal Marine - was fitter and healthier than he’d ever been.

Every week in the UK, around 12 young people (under the age of 35) die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

Sam, a London-based TV producer, co-founded TOBE-Heartsafe in honour of her son.

“Over the past three years since Toby’s death I have been keen to tell his story,” she said.

“I want to help raise awareness and encourage people to get screened.”

Every week in the UK, around 12 young people (under the age of 35) die suddenly from a previously undiagnosed heart condition. Eighty per cent of these deaths will occur with no prior symptoms.

Sam observed that the UK lags behind other European countries at screening

“We’ve seen in Italy – where screening is mandatory for all young people engaged in organised sport – a reduction in the incidence of young sudden cardiac death by 90%.”

Sam explained TOBE-Heartsafe chose Oundle School because of “its strong links with the local community and sports clubs.”

The organisation hopes this visit will help it to to extend beyond the school and into the local community. Sam believes this approach will eventually lead TOBE to offer free local screenings and achieve greater nationwide reach.

“We want to expand screening across the UK,” she noted.

Anyone interested in attending the screening must book in advance by emailing [email protected].

Oundle School to host cardiac screening day for youngsters after tragic death of man, 22, to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome