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Rutland dad Andrew Osborne’s Atlantic row led to free heart screening




A dad who rowed the Atlantic has paid for 200 young people to have their hearts screened for health problems - and many more will soon benefit.

Andrew Osborne from Rutland spent two and a half months completing the challenge earlier this year following the sudden death of his 25-year-old daughter, Amy, in 2018.

A free heart screening on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, saw people aged 14 to 35 tested. Software company MHR, which sponsored Andrew, hosted the event for Cardiac Research in the Young (Cry), a charity that Andrew supported and which tests for undetected heart conditions.

Andrew Osborne, centre, with the Cry heart screening team and MHR
Andrew Osborne, centre, with the Cry heart screening team and MHR

Jessica Mills, MHR chairman, said: “Our role in Andrew’s journey has been eye-opening, and we are all too aware of the important part we can play in ensuring young people are tested and aware of any conditions they may have.”

Andrew’s goal was to raise £100,000 to screen 1,000 state school pupils in Rutland and Leicestershire. By sharing the highs and lows of his 78 days and 10 hours rowing 3,000 miles, he exceeded this target, raising more than £180,000 for Cry.

As well as hosting the weekend screening at its headquarters in Nottinghamshire, MHR donated £40,000 to Andrew’s fundraising and sent volunteers into schools to talk about his cause.

Cry’s screening programme has a waiting list of about 50,000. Each week a dozen UK people aged 35 and under die from a hidden heart condition.

Dr Steven Cox, chief executive of Cry, said: “The impact of the money raised by Andrew’s fundraising cannot be underestimated and there is little doubt that lives will be saved through Cry’s ability to screen so many more young people.”

He added that they were looking forward to holding more screening sessions across the Midlands as part of Amy Osborne’s ongoing legacy.

By Sophie Robinson



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