SADS Awareness Week will take place from 4 - 10 October and is organised by local heart charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).

The JHMT was set up after the death of Rothley teenager Joe Humphries in October 2012. Joe died from SADS while out on a training jog near his home. SADS stands for sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, a collective term for a group of deadly genetic heart conditions which cause a disturbance with the heart rhythm and can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Every year during the week of the anniversary of Joe's untimely death, JHMT hold the annual SADS Awareness Week to remind and educate healthcare professionals, sports-related professionals and parents and carers of young people about the dangers of undiagnosed heart conditions like SADS. Every week in the UK, 12 young people (12-35 years old) die due to undiagnosed genetic heart conditions like SADS.

This year the JHMT SADS awareness week programme will be a hybrid version combining the use of online social media platforms to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death and SADS prevention in the young and the welcome return of the Trust's community 'hands-on' lifesaving training with local sports clubs and groups. On Thursday 7 October, the SADS in sport talk & training to students on the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme (TASS) will take place at Loughborough College.

Dr Harshil Dhutia, Consultant Cardiologist at Glenfield Hospital and JHMT medical lead, will also give a key insight into how someone copes living with an inherited heart condition.

The week will also give another opportunity to raise awareness of UK Coaching's free lifesaving eLearning toolkit for sports coaches, personal trainers, club officials, referees, volunteers, parents, players and spectators. The toolkit, funded by Sport England, has been developed over the past 18 months in collaboration with The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, Resuscitation Council and St John Ambulance.

If anyone needed a reminder about the importance of being prepared and equipped for a cardiac emergency, it was on 12^th June earlier in the year at the Euros when the world watched on as Denmark's Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest which came with no warning.

Dr Harshil Dhutia, Consultant Cardiologist, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester and Medical lead for JHMT said

"On behalf of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, ( JHMT) I would like to welcome you all to SADS awareness week 2021. This week marks the anniversary of the untimely death of teenager Joe Humphries due to SADS in 2012. The focus of the JHMT SADS awareness week is to remind and educate healthcare professionals, sports-related professionals and parents and carers of young people about the dangers of undiagnosed heart conditions like SADS. During the week, pertinent issues in relation to sudden cardiac death and SADS prevention in the young will take place across Leicestershire and displayed across various digital platforms.

"We have several exciting events planned, including several in person CPR and AED training events. We get to hear the inspirational stories of three young individuals on how they live life with cardiac conditions. And finally, we highlight the launch of the UK Coaching SCA e-Learning module for sports coaches at every level of sport.

"We look forward to your participation in the week and thank you for your continued support."

As well as providing free CPR and defibrillator training, the JHMT works hard to raise awareness of sudden heart deaths, helps to provide community defibrillators and runs Inspire, a local grants scheme for inspirational young people, 13 – 21 year's old - https://www.jhmt.org.uk/inspire

You can also follow SADS Awareness Week events and activities on Facebook and Twitter: facebook.com/jhmtorguk or @jhmt.org.uk and on the JHMT website which will be available from Sunday.