A HEART screening event has been held in memory of a Tillicoultry man who passed away last year.

Aiden Joyce, aged 28, died on March 7, 2023, with his family discovering he had an undiagnosed heart condition.

In his memory, and to try and ensure no other family suffers the same loss, his mum and dad set up a heart screening session at Alva Academy over the weekend.

The family teamed up with charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) to bring a mobile heart screening station to Clacks.

Across Saturday and Sunday, nearly 200 young people got their hearts tested, with 12 referred to cardiologists for further testing.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Aiden’s mum Lorraine and dad Campbell admitted that while they were happy to help others, they were struck by the number of follow-ups.

“It was emotional for us all,” Lorraine said. “We weren’t expecting to get as many referrals to cardiologists so it’s a bit mixed emotions.

“We did this to save lives but we wanted everybody to be healthy. We didn’t want people to go through the pain that we went through.”

Lorraine confirmed that 186 young people received life saving heart screening tests, with around 12 referred for further treatment.

She now aims to make the event an annual occurrence and has received support from Wee County politician Keith Brown who attended.

The Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP said: “To lose a child to an undetected heart condition is unthinkable and I have a great amount of respect to Lorraine and Campbell for choosing to build a legacy for Aiden by both raising funds for and awareness of the risk of cardiac issues in young people – their tireless efforts to raise awareness of this condition could literally save lives.

“CRY do very important work throughout the country and is vital that young people are aware of the risk of heart problems, and I’d like to thank all the professionals who took part in the screening at the weekend.

“This screening weekend only took place thanks to the incredible hard work of Lorraine, Campbell and their friends and family as well as the generosity of local people and businesses who have donated so much for such a worthy cause.”

Aiden’s full story and more information about CRY can be found at c-r-y.org.uk/aiden-joyce/.