SADS Week 2021

SADS Week 2021

SADS Awareness Week

4th - 10th October 2021

The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) is a key supporter in the fight against sudden cardiac death in the young in Leicestershire and the East midlands through raising awareness of SADS and partnerships with key stake holders to make Leicester heart-safe through their CPR and AED programme.

SADS Awareness week marks the anniversary of the loss to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) of victim 14 year old Joe Humphries from Rothley who suddenly collapsed and died whilst out jogging on 4th October 2012. To mark this key milestone in the JHMT calendar, on the anniversary of Joe's death, I would like to welcome you all to the annual SADS Awareness Week 2021 (4th-10th October 2021).

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 will be displayed across various digital platforms.

On Monday the 4th of October, we highlight the launch this year of the UK Coaching SCA e-Learning module alongside the Trust's ongoing heart-safe sports and community programme across the city and county. The JHMT has been a key stakeholder in the development of the e-learning module to allow the formal training of potentially 100,000 sports coaches as first responders. We also have the opportunity to get the feedback of coaches who have completed the training and the impact the training has had on their knowledge and confidence on managing cardiac arrest.

On Tuesday 5th of October, we are also delighted to have patient participation in SADS awareness week. We introduce Dan and Sam (Joe's cousin) who kindly share their incredible stories of living life as young adults with a cardiac condition. Jess Keeling, our JHMT young person's ambassador will also be updating us on how she is getting along! We are very grateful for their support and hope you find their stories as inspirational as we do.

On Wednesday the 6th October, we continue with the educational theme on CPR and AED use. This will range from recognition of cardiac arrest and basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation to AED use. Remember, the survival rate from a cardiac arrest in the UK is less than 10% as an average, but it could be 75% if bystanders immediately start CPR and there is access to a public defibrillator within 3-5 minutes.

On Thursday the 7th October, we are providing hands on training combined with UK Coaching's elearning module to launch Loughborough College's TASS (Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme) programme 21. We thank the college for the kind invitation and look forward to this fantastic evening.

On Friday the 8th of October, we role back the clock and visit De Lisle school, the first school in Leicestershire to undergo heart-safe training en mass back in 2013 as part of the JHMT programme. We catch up with staff and pupils on how they are keeping heart smart and look forward to arranging CPR and AED training at the school on the day.

In addition, during the week, there will be community events with Joe's Mini Heart -Start For Sports Clubs CPR and AED familiarisation training, CPR at Highfield Rangers FC, the Steve Walsh and Mussy Isset Football Academy and Leicester Rowing Club/West End Runners & De Montfort University. Of course, Simon Taylor and friends complete the programme with Joe's Bike ride, scheduled for the 10th October 2021.

I would like to thank members of the JHMT medical team (Marijke, Mike, Fraser, Lorna, Kuldip, Alan, Steve M & Ffion) and everyone behind the scenes for their fabulous efforts in contributing to this year's SADS awareness week programme.

This week is full to the brim with information for you to read, but also to share. There is no age limit to knowing about CPR and AEDs and you are the future. You can make a difference.

The difference that may have saved Joe's life 9 years ago. The difference that will save many young lives in the future.

Harshil Dhutia, Consultant Cardiologist, Glenfield Hospital UHL, Medical lead for JHMT

As patron of Joe's Trust ( JHMT) I would like thank everyone who has contributed so much time and effort behind the scenes to this year's SADS Awareness Week 2021. I'm also so pleased to see the return of the Trust's community CPR and AED training sessions with local sports and community groups in the city and county. If anyone needed a reminder about the importance of learning these simple skills, it was on 12th June at the Euros when the world watched on as Denmark's Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest which came out of nowhere. It was no miracle that saved him but the quick actions of the match officials, Denmark's team captain and the onsite medical team that saved Christian's life. As we know, these things happen and when they do, it's obviously a shock but they happen. They are not freak occurrences.

It's easy to think; It's not going to happen, it's not going to happen to my kid, it's not going to happen to me, it's not going to happen to my people. But it happens.

Mostly, it's when you haven't got a huge medical team on standby, it's on a pitch in the middle of nowhere, or on a dance floor of a wedding. With members of the public, parents, the rest of us around, you've got to know what to do.

There was a huge reaction to the Eriksen incident because it happened to a famous footballer, but these cardiac arrests will happen this week, today somewhere with no warning. Around 60,000 people in the UK have one of these out-of-hospital sudden cardiac incidents including at least 12 seemingly fit and healthy young people, under the age of 35 who die every week.

What a bystander does or does not do in these vital few seconds and minutes following a collapse can be the difference between life and death. Sadly, survival rates for out -of -hospital cardiac arrest in the community remains stubbornly low. The survival rate in this this group is still less than 10%. These heart deaths aren't inevitable, they are preventable, and anyone can save a life by taking a little time out to learn a few simple skills.

Over the past nine years, JHMT have dedicated an enormous amount of time, energy, and resources to ensure the local communities are much more aware of SADS and are ready and equipped to deal with a cardiac emergency. One vital piece of this work includes the importance of all clubs being heart-safe at all levels of sport on and off the field of play.

On the 12th May, UK Coaching in collaboration with Joe's Trust launched a free lifesaving eLearning toolkit for sports coaches, personal trainers, club officials, referees, volunteers, parents, players and spectators. It's a brilliant online resource www.ukcoaching.org/sca which goes through the risks, what might happen and what you need to do. Everyone should learn CPR to deal with these incidents.

We're all massively thankful that Eriksen survived. The question now is what would you do if it happened around you? when every second counts, you need to be one of those people who knows what to do.

Martin Johnson CBE - patron of JHMT

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Day 1. Monday 4th October

Play Sport, PLAY HEART-SAFE

Stay Ahead Of The GAME - Don't let it take a cardiac emergency! before taking steps to be PREPARED for Sudden cardiac Arrest

As we saw with what happened to Christian Eriksen, sudden cardiac arrest can happen at any time, anywhere and to anyone. Even those who are young and exceptionally fit. Christian Eriksen's life was saved due to early recognition of cardiac arrest, alerting the medical services and initiating CPR and early defibrillation. Most cardiac arrests do not happen on a football pitch with a full medical team on hand. However, with the work that the JHMT does in providing CPR and defibrillator training at schools, sports clubs and at community events across Leicester and Leicestershire, ANYONE CAN BECOME A LIFESAVER.

The more people trained in recognising sudden cardiac arrest and initiating CPR and defibrillation the better the chance of survival. For this reason, our partner UK Coaching has launched a free life-saving digital learning toolkit, which will help you gain the knowledge and confidence to respond quickly in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest on or off the field of play. It has been funded by Sport England and developed in collaboration with JHMT, the Resuscitation Council and St John Ambulance.

Every week 12 people who are under 35 years old die due to undiagnosed heart conditions like SADS. Recognising any warning signs and acting promptly can mean the difference between life and death. More people must be trained in basic CPR skills and being familiar with and having quick access to a defibrillator. Anyone involved in sport and physical activity – including coaches, personal trainers, club organisers, referees, volunteers, parents, participants and spectators can sign up to do the course: www.ukcoaching.org/sca which takes approx' 30 minutes to complete.

So, what can your club do?

There are some easy steps to ensure your club is as safe as can be:

  1. Encourage members, coaches, parents, volunteers, players, officials to sign up and complete the SCA eLearning module – go to: ww.ukcoaching.org/sca
  2. Through the Joe's Mini Heart-Start for sports clubs programme, JHMT can provide free CPR and defibrillator training to your members. For further details email JHMT
  3. Have a defibrillator at your club which is readily accessible. For further help and support email JHMT
  4. To find out more on how Joe's Trust (JHMT) can help your club/ organisation to create a heart safe sporting and community environment, see Our Impact

Why does my club need an AED?

Research shows that prompt CPR and early defibrillation give better survival rates. In the UK survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is under 10%. Having an AED at your pitches, clubhouse or with the coaches enables much quicker defibrillation should disaster strike. In many sports areas if you don't have a AED on site then, on average, it will take between 8 and 16 min to run to a AED and back. If it takes 8 minutes the chance of survival is 20%. With a defibrillator onsite this delay may be more like 2-3 minutes giving a survival rate 70-80%.


SADS Week community programme sessions

Session: Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports Training
Date: Monday 4th October 2021
Location: Highfield Rangers Football Ground

The week's opening Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports, CPR and defibrillator training session, led by lead trainer Alan Harrison White, will take place with members of both Highfield Rangers Football Club and FSD Academy.

Day 2. Tuesday 5th October:
Living with an Inherited Heart Condition

It is difficult to imagine living with any medical condition at a young age, particularly one for which there is no cure, one which may significantly impact the quality of life and one that may also have implications for the wider family. This is the case for young patients living with inherited cardiac conditions.

These conditions are implicated in young sudden cardiac death which is the leading cause of non-accidental death in this cohort of patients. They run in families given their genetic background and the diagnosis therefore has significant implications for family members and family planning. They can impact/restrict occupations and interests such as high intensity exercise which must have significant psychological impact on those affected especially when to date, they are not curative. All this on top of the fact that many affected young individuals will be asymptomatic!

We are fortunate to have Dan, Sam and Jess share their incredible stories of living with an inherited cardiac condition and how they have come to terms with the diagnosis and continue to live life as normal as possible. We are incredibly grateful for them taking the time to share their experiences with us in SADS week 2021 and we hope you find their stories as inspirational as we do.

Harshil Dhutia, Consultant Cardiologist, Glenfield Hospital UHL, Medical lead for JHMT

Benefits of Exercise – Dr Stephen Mears

Whilst it is vitally important to use this week to raise awareness of SADs, it is also important to remember that exercise has many benefits particularly in terms of physical and mental wellbeing. It is well known that exercise plays a key role in preventing and treating a range of cardiometabolic diseases including reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and can help regulate blood glucose to reduce the risk of developing Type II diabetes. Exercise can also help regulate blood pressure and depending on the type of exercise can be beneficial for bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis developing in later life. Exercise can also be great for increasing energy expenditure, helping to control weight management. But exercise has many more pluses than just physical benefits. For many, it can play a key role in positive mental health. Exercise can act as a great stress reliever, improve mood and provide an engaging social aspect. It can help reduce anxiety and be a great way to meet new people.

There is a variety of research into the type of exercise that is beneficial, with benefits associated with different activities including running, walking, cycling, team sports, and high intensity sprints to name a few. As a general rule of thumb if heart rate increases then there is a likely beneficial effect. There is even some evidence to suggest that simple activities such as reducing time sitting by standing at your desk can increase energy expenditure. As a guide the NHS and American College of Sports Medicine suggests that healthy adults aged 18-65 take part in moderate intensity physical activity for at least 30 min, five times a week.

It is important to remember to exercise at an appropriate level and intensity to your fitness and progressively build over a number of weeks. If you are new to exercise, the NHS website has some excellent advice about getting started, and the Couch 2 5K programme provides an easily attainable and progressive way to run or walk 5k. A great event to take part in is a parkrun. Held every Saturday at 9am, thousands of people at lots of different venues around the country complete a 5km event that is great at encouraging participation. If you haven't done one before, then find your local run here. All you need to do is print off your barcode before you go. Sport is a great social opportunity, so check out local sports and clubs in your area to see how to get involved.

We have seen this week that a small number of people taking part in exercise can have underlying cardiac problems. It is extremely important that the work of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust helps support exercise, sport and physical activity by ensuring that as many people as possible are CPR trained and that events and activities have easy access to an AED, so that if something does happen, there is the best chance of survival.

Dr Stephen Mears
Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition
School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences
Loughborough University

SADS Week community programme sessions

Session: Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports Training
Date: Tuesday 5th October 2021
Location: Blaby Boys Club, Warwick Road, Whetstone, LE8 6LW

Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports, CPR and defibrillator training session, led by lead trainer Alan Harrison White, will take place with members of Steve Walsh and Muzzy Izzet Advanced Football Development Academy (AFDA).


Session: Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports Training
Date: Tuesday 5th October 2021
Location: Blaby Boys Club, Warwick Road, Whetstone, LE8 6LW

Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports, CPR and defibrillator training session, led by lead trainer Alan Harrison White, will take place with members of Vipers RFC.

Day 3. Wednesday 6th October:
Importance of CPR and AED

If you find that somebody is not breathing, they have had a cardiac arrest. If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, the chance of survival increases from 6% to 74%!!! Only 22% of people in the UK would be confident in performing CPR on a stranger. This statistic has to change in society as a whole for lives to be saved. Anybody can be a lifesaver. Find out how JHMT is raising awareness of recognition of cardiac arrest and how to perform basic CPR and AED use. You could be a life saver!

There is a defibrillator closer to you than you may think. It's a good idea to find out the closest one to your home, school, place of work, or any place that you go regularly. You will usually find a one at public places, like schools, your local Co-op, leisure centres and sports stadiums. There are apps like GoodSAM Responder and Staying Alive which you can use to help you.

Most importantly, anyone can do CPR and use a defibrillator. There is no requirement to be medically trained. Any member of the public could use a defibrillator to deliver a potentially life-saving shock to a patient. The defibrillator itself will guide you.

There is also not an age limit. Basic life support skills including resuscitation and defibrillation is now part of the schools national curriculum. If you are strong enough to push on a chest and are able to follow instructions from the defibrillator, you are able to perform these skills.

See below introductory videos with simple demonstrations on CPR and how to use a defibrillator (AED).

SADS Week community programme sessions

Session: Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports Training
Date: Wednesday 6th October 2021
Location: Upperton Rd, Leicester, LE2 7AU

CPR and defibrillator training will take place with members of Leicester Rowing Club, who now have a public access defibrillator on site in a box donated by JHMT to demonstrate their commitment to creating a heart safe environment for all their members at club and the local community in the West End of the city.

The session will take place as part of JHMT's life-saving training programme, Joe's Mini HeartStart for Sports - and led by Dr Mike Ferguson and Dr Fraser Goldie.

Day 4. Thursday 7th October:
SADS In Sport workshop as part of Loughborough College’s Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme Launch

New students joining the College's Talented Athlete Support Scheme Dual Career Programme will gain vital knowledge which could mean the difference between life and death at a workshop on campus delivered by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).

Dr Harshil Dhutia, Consultant Cardiologist, Glenfield Hospital UHL, Medical lead for JHMT, will deliver a SADS in Sport talk to increase awareness and understanding of underlying heart conditions that can effect athletes and those who participate in high level and regular sport and physical activities and how everyone can be better prepared in case of a cardiac emergency on and off the field of play. Following the SADS in sport talk, the students will then get 'hands on' to learn vital CPR skills and how to use a defibrillator with JHMT's lead Trainer Alan Harrison White.

Steve Wilkinson - FE Sport Tutor & Dual Career Coordinator Loughborough College - said:

"The recent unfortunate events at both West Bridgeford and the Euros in relation to Christian Eriksen has highlighted and heightened the need for anyone involved in sport to have a defibrillator and CPR training event.

The TASS induction evening and its links with JHMT give us the perfect opportunity to make sure our student athletes have the skills to save a life. This event will form part of the ongoing national promotion by UK Coaching of the online SCA digital toolkit qualification for sports coaches at all levels and importance of defibs across the whole sports and physical activity sector.

We are delighted to be part of this process that helps increase awareness while also training coaches how to deal with lifesaving situations."

TASS Scheme:

Loughborough College is one of few colleges in the country to offer TASS Accreditation for FE learners. The college achieved the accreditation in May 2018 after years of work supporting, guiding and mentoring learners and elite athletes manage education and elite sport performance. The national recognition was reward for this work and the college now has two Dual Career Coordinators who can support up to 60 athletes in managing their lifestyle, education programme, training and competition, as well as regular workshops.

The college support includes advice on nutrition, hydration, finance, lifestyle management, scholarships as well as regular support meetings. The DCC's will help you manage your time and training workloads, prepare for assessment deadlines while also working with coaches, fitness and have links with other elite sport support teams.

Since 2018 the college TASS programme has supported World record holders, European champions, and international athletes from team sports as well as helping the progress of gymnasts, runners, pole vaulters, netball players, footballers and golfers. Our learners study a variety of topics from Engineering, A' levels, Art, Public Services and Sport.

If you are competing at national level or above and want to be part of the TASS dual career scheme complete the following application form and return it to sportadmin@loucoll.ac.uk


Day 5. Friday 8th October:
HEART-SAFE Schools – De Lisle Academy Loughborough

As Joe's old school, De Lisle College in Loughborough has played a pivotal part in the fight against sudden cardiac arrests in Leicestershire schools and beyond. It was a privilege as head boy in 2018-2019 to be able to push CPR training and the JHMT back into the forefront of people's minds at the college.

It is fantastic that so many schools and universities around the country, and world, are following in De Lisle's example and taking the issue of sudden cardiac arrest seriously and becoming HeartSafe. HeartSafe schools are those who have onsite automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and provide CPR training for their students. This is something which in 2020 became part of the English curriculum thanks to the work of JHMT and others, meaning that schools in Leicestershire and further afield are becoming much safer for pupils and staff who suffer a cardiac arrest.

It is fantastic for two particular reasons. Firstly, it means that if a student suffers a cardiac arrest at school, there will be teachers and peers who are able to recognise cardiac arrest, start good quality CPR and get an AED and know how to use it, leading to an increased chance of a positive outcome. Additionally , it means that CPR and AED training is being delivered to pupils so they are equipped with the skills to save lives at school and in the community. As 80% of all out of hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home, it means that they will most likely have to use these skills on a friend or family member, making these skills all the more important to take onboard.

That's really all it takes to help save a life: good quality CPR and early defibrillation.

As a final year student paramedic I have been to numerous cardiac arrests of many different ages and causes but unfortunately the thing that they had in common was that there wasn't an AED on scene prior to our arrival and in only one of them was there good quality bystander CPR meaning that it was incredibly hard, if not impossible to achieve a good outcome. Who knows whether having an AED on scene earlier or if there was good quality CPR being done would have made a difference, but it would have certainly given those patients a better chance.

I cannot stress enough the importance of CPR and AED use. I have been the one to tell someone that their father, husband or wife has died and it pains me to know that if someone had started good quality CPR and early defibrillation, then there would have been a much better chance of a positive outcome. That's why it's fantastic that students are being taught these skills as they go out into the world so less families will be torn apart by sudden cardiac arrests.

In school, you learn a lot of things which are not necessarily applicable to everyday life, and hopefully CPR is something that you never have to use. But for those who say it will never happen to them, or they will never come across someone in cardiac arrest, I am certain that if I had asked the families of the patients that I have been to who have died whether they thought that it would have happened to them today, they would have said no.

Good quality CPR and early defibrillation saves lives, take 5 minutes out of your day to learn it.

James Pilbeam
Student Paramedic

GET HANDS ON for this year’s Restart A Heart Day
16th October 2021

Anyone can be affected by a sudden cardiac arrest at any time, and without intervention, the person will quickly die. When someone collapses and stops breathing normally, it is important to quickly call 999, perform CPR and use a defibrillator. This gives the person their best chance of survival. If reluctant or unable to do rescue breaths, hands-only CPR will still give the person the same chance.

Restart a Heart (RSAH) is an annual initiative led by Resuscitation Council UK. It is run in partnership with The British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, NHS England and Improvement, Save a Life for Scotland, Save a Life Cymru, and Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. It aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In 2018, the initiative went global with the formation of World Restart a Heart (WRSAH).

On and around 16 October each year, an alliance of partners all over the world (including UK Ambulance Services, Medical Schools, and Fire and Rescue Services) come together to increase public awareness of cardiac arrests and increase the number of people trained in life saving CPR. They do this by organising and facilitating training events and also providing opportunities for people to learn CPR digitally in the safety and comfort of their own home.

Whether it's learning CPR or teaching it, there's plenty of ways to get involved with #RestartAHeart 2021! Learn more about how to get hands on with life-saving skills. www.resus.org.uk/rsah

JHMT Annual Bike Ride
Sunday 10th October 2021

Location: Rothley to Belvoir and around.

The JHMT annual Bike Ride as part of SADS week will start from Hornecroft in Rothley with an 8.30 am start time- and then proceed on a rural route to Bottesford and very northern most tip of Leicestershire. Route 1. is 52.6 miles and we expect it to finish early afternoon. For those who want a shorter cycle ride route 2- 35 miles to Hickling Wharf. It is a great way to finish Summer and the Bike Season.

On returning to Rothley there is an option of a team drink at the Bluebell pub.

The ride is strictly for 16s and over and under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

This is an informal event and the Trust takes no responsibility for health and safety. Those joining us are assumed to be aware of the Highway Code, experienced cyclists and will bring suitable tools to deal with any mechanical issues! The route is suitable for road bikes.

The bike ride will be in line with the government's Covid's guidance.

Here is a web site with all the route details:
https://hissett.wixsite.com/mysite
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/41198578

For further details please contact Simon Taylor on Telephone: 07733 124867.

Come along for the ride, all in aid of a great cause – it is a great favourite with those that have taken part before

Inspire Awards

JHMT Inspire Awards small grants - helping young people (13 – 21 yrs old) from the city and county fulfil their potential, develop their talents & make a difference across the community.

JHMT Inspire Awards of up to £500 are handed out to young people aged 13-21 from Leicester and Leicestershire to help them fulfill their ambitions in the fields of music, arts, sports and community endeavour. Since the awards' inception in 2014, more than £37,000 has been awarded to help 166 young people to do some amazing things.

For further info' go to: Inspire Awards

Join Joe's army of Volunteers

If you want to go the extra mile to help Joe's Trust raise awareness and reduce the incidence of sudden, cardiac death in young people, 12 - 35 years old, please come and join us. It doesn't matter whether you can sponsor an event, taking part in fundraising activities, hand out leaflets for an hour, or make a cup of tea.

Join Joe's growing army of volunteers who go the extra mile to make a difference to help JHMT save young hearts.