Sudden Adult Death Syndrome - Coursework Example

?SADS Sudden Adult Death Syndrome is a disease that affects old and young people resulting in sudden death of fit and healthy persons. Despite the fact that cardiac arrest can be prevented when cardiac problems diagnosed timely or can be helped with defibrillation to increases the person’s suffering cardiac arrest survival, not many individuals know how to give help to the suffering person. Sudden cardiac arrests causing sudden death have mainly occurred due to incompetency and ignorance of individuals witnessing cardiac arrests. Thus, if more people are aware of cardiac arrests and know what to do in case they are around a person having cardiac attack, more chances would be to grant those suffering their survival. VSF is one organization, whose aim is to raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and cardiac arrests. However, there are some other charity organizations involved in raising awareness Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and developing action guidelines. NHS and Raising Awareness of SADS Although logically would be to suggest that the major organization to raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and ways to prevent or diagnose it early would be National Healthcare System, the truth is that NHS establishments are preoccupied with a vast variety of diseases and their treatment. Consequently, less attention is paid to the problem of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome solely. Although Sudden Adult Death Syndrome was addressed by NSF Chapter in Cardiology (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome addressed by new NSF chapter, UK), it was launched with basic dedication to arrhythmias and preventing sudden death in young people. Despite that the Chapter suggests that screening should be offered to young individuals who have cardinal symptoms of cardiac diseases such as chest pain, breathlessness, blackouts without warnings; or those with a family history of inherited cardiac syndromes, the screening for conditions causing sudden cardiac death is not offered on the National Health Service if an individual does not have any symptoms or a family history of heart disease.  Thus, if an individual does not fit into that category, he/she will be refused screening on the NHS and will have to go to a private doctor or to a charitable fund or organization that would make the screening at a reasonable cost. Organizations involved in raising awareness of SADS Despite that NHS is not actively involved in raising awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and developing guidelines on how to act, there are charitable organizations that are devoted to the cause. These organizations were established majorly by relatives of those who died in result of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. Among such organizations are Sudden Death Support Association and SADS – Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (http://www.sads.org.uk/), who raise awareness and provide support for families, and Ashley Jolly Sudden Adult Death Trust (http://www.sadsuk.org/), Cardiac Risk in Young (CRY: http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/) who raise awareness of the disease, support the families who have gone through deaths of loves ones, and are involved in fundraising for the cause to equip local communities, colleges, schools with automated external defibrillators (Patient UK, 2011). Awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome is also raised through booklets and events from British Heart Foundation, which provides information on cardiac illnesses including SADS. SADS UK – The Ashley Jolly Sad Trust According to the official website, “The Ashley Jolly Sad Trust (SADS UK) is a voluntary organization that exists to raise awareness about little known heart conditions in young people and provides information and support to families who have experienced the sudden unexpected death of a loved one due to such a condition. The Trust fundraises to purchase and donate heart monitoring equipment to detect potentially fatal heart conditions in order that once a condition is identified the patient can be referred to a cardiologist for treatment, to minimize the risk of sudden premature death.” SADS UK – Ashley Jolly SAD Trust is affiliated with a number of organizations not only on national level in the UK but on the worldwide level as well. Among the Trust’s affiliates are Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation, The Canadian SADS Foundation, SADS Australia, European Long QT Syndrome Information Center, Association du Syndrome du QT Long - Organization of the Long QT Syndrome, The Helen Kirkland Fund for Cardiac Research. SADS UK Fundraising Activities The Ashley Jolly SAD Trust organizes various raising awareness events which include concerts, conferences, charity balls, quiz nights, bereavement support events and bereavement support retreats. One of such conferences will be held on April 7th, 2011 in Kettering Conference Centre, Northants, and will focus on learning more about the charity putting Automated External Defibrillators in schools and the community Also the Trust is registered with JustGiving, online fundraising channel, through which individuals donate their funds on the cause upon their will. Furthermore, the Trust, in conjunction with NHS Ambulance Service First Aid Training and Physio Control UK, has been successful to raise awareness in communities and colleges. Thus, for example, Edensor Technology College in Stoke-on-Trent was the first school to join the campaign that was launched in December 2010. The school provided conditions and grounds to fundraise money to buy automated external defibrillators, whereas the Trust West Midlands Ambulance Service professionals provided Basic Life Support Skills and Defibrillator training to 18 first aiders at the college (Baldwyn, 2011). Thus, the Trust is involved in direct fundraising through events and conferences as well as in indirect fundraising through online donations from individuals as well as encouraging individuals to donate for the cause in schools and communities. Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) Cardiac Risk in the Young is an organization, which was created with the aim “to raise awareness of conditions that can lead to Sudden (Adult) Death Syndrome” (CRY, 2011). The vision of the organization for the year 2011 is “to work with cardiologists and family doctors to promote and protect the cardiac health of our young by establishing good practice and screening facilities devoted to significantly reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death throughout the UK.” CRY Fundraising Activities Fundraising activities of CRY include donating and volunteering for the organization, organizing fundraising challenge events, London Marathon, CRY event write-ups, CRY merchandise, providing opportunities to save on utility bills and help CRY by donating, and developing other miscellaneous fundraising schemes. CRY is deeply assured that there are many various ways to donate to the organization which include “click-the-button” device on their website, cheques, credit card, and donations over the phone, payroll giving, and gift aid. CRY closely cooperates with Skyline Company in organizing various fundraising challenge events ranging from exciting trek and bike rides worldwide as well as memorable parachute jumping. Other events like dog sledging in the land of the Midnight Sun, Finan to Petra Jordan Trek, Ladakh Himalayan Challenge, Morocco Mount Toubkal Trek, and Namibia Project are organized in cooperation with Across the Divide. London Marathon is a yearly event organized by CRY at which a team of heart costume runners. Helping CRY through saving on utility bills has become possible in result of cooperation between CRY and Utility Warehouse Community. The scheme of donation works in the way that when you join the Utility Warehouse, they will donate up to 5% of your monthly bill to CRY, for as long as person remains their customer. Other miscellaneous fundraising schemes include a number of innovative ideas and initiatives. These initiatives include eBay for charity; Waitrose’s Community Matters scheme; the easyfundraising.org.uk online shopping scheme; easysearch and everyclick.com charity internet search engines; Ploink! Online piggy bank donations, and the Cartridge4Charity recycling scheme. There are many ways an organization may raise awareness as well as funds. Thus, VSF may apply the methods existing organizations already use as well as brainstorm and develop new ways to support the cause of deathly decease of SADS. References Baldwyn, K. West Midlands Ambulance Service in bid to raise awareness over sudden adult death syndrome Birmingham Mail, Jan 24 2011. Retrieved from http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/01/24/west-midlands-ambulance-service-supports-sudden-adult-death-syndrome-97319-28041545/ British Heart Foundation. http://www.bhf.org.uk/ Cardiac Risk in the Young http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/ SADS UK – Ashley Jolly SAD Trust. http://www.sadsuk.org/ Read More