On Saturday and Sunday, February 3 and 4, around 200 local young people will be screened by the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) thanks to the outstanding fundraising efforts of the family and friends of Dean Mason, who tragically died from a previously undiagnosed heart condition whilst on a family holiday in 2010, aged just 26.

The Dean Mason Memorial Fund has already brought CRY’s screening team to Carmarthenshire on 10 previous occasions leading to the screening of 1,040 young people, to date.

This year, the screening weekend will again be held at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, North Road, Whitland.

Monies raised by the Dean Mason Memorial Fund have also funded an entire screening unit, comprising a new van, three electrocardiogram (ECG) machines (which trace the rhythm of the heart) and an echocardiogram machine (which uses sound waves to build up a detailed picture of the heart, similar to the ultrasound scan used in pregnancy).

Daniel Mason, Dean’s brother, says: “We all want to thank the entire local community for all their support and fundraising efforts in memory of Dean. Without them, our ongoing funding of regular screenings - and the screening unit dedicated to Dean’s name - just wouldn’t have been possible. We are proud to continue making an impact on lives of young people across Wales and playing a part in helping to prevent other families from experiencing the same devastating grief as we have.”

Last year, the true benefits of CRY’s screening programme were seen when Daniel was reunited with 16-year-old, Frank Arentz from Tenby, who had been diagnosed with a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at a screening funded by the Dean Mason Memorial Fund. Without early identification and treatment (including lifestyle modifications) the condition could have had fatal consequences.

Every week, 12 apparently fit and healthy young (aged 35 and under) people lose their lives to sudden cardiac death in the UK - a statistic that is believed to be a conservative estimate. A staggering 80 per cent of these apparently healthy young people who die from young sudden cardiac death will have shown no previous sign of heart defects until it is too late - which is why CRY believes screening is vitally important. Indeed, the charity now tests around 27,000 young people each year.

An ECG test is a simple way to identify the vast majority of abnormalities that can cause sudden deaths in young people. The test is quick, non-invasive and, if necessary, a further echocardiogram can be taken on the same day to provide further clarity or reassurance.

Chief executive of CRY, Dr. Steven Cox, says: “The death of a young person is heart-breaking and devastating for any family. It is therefore essential that anyone with a potentially fatal heart condition knows about it. Without this knowledge and, if necessary, appropriate treatment, they could be putting their lives at risk as in 80 per cent of cases there are no signs or symptoms. Sport itself does not actually cause sudden cardiac death but it can significantly increase a young person’s risk if they have an underlying condition. However, research carried out by CRY has also shown that a large number of these deaths will also occur when a young person is at rest or even sleeping.

“CRY now tests around 27,000 young people, aged 14-35, annually. But we still believe screening needs to be extended to all young people.

“Although screening will not identify all those at risk, in Italy, where screening is mandatory for all young people engaged in organised sport, the incidence of young sudden cardiac death has decreased by 90 per cent.”

CRY’s screening programme is overseen by Professor Sanjay Sharma, professor of inherited cardiovascular disease and sports cardiology at St. George’s Hospital, London, and the medical director of the Virgin London Marathon.

Professor Sharma makes no charge for supervising the CRY screening programme and due to this support, CRY is able to subsidise the programme significantly - privately, these tests could cost hundreds of pounds.

Dr. Cox adds: “I would also like to say an enormous ‘thank you’ once again to everyone involved with the Dean Mason Memorial Fund for donating such an invaluable amount of screening equipment, which brings enormous benefits to our ever-expanding screening programme and helps us meet the demands for cardiac testing in young people both in Wales and throughout the UK.”

Over the years, CRY has received great support in Wales from local families, media and politicians. Since 2004, CRY has carried out 41 screenings across Wales, testing over 3,600 young people for previously undiagnosed heart conditions.

In 2012, CRY held a high-profile event at National Assembly in Cardiff, raising huge awareness for the charity and the importance of screening.