Club host screening session for Over 65s with support from a number of former players
Bolton Wanderers recently hosted an NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening session at Macron Stadium.
Often abbreviated to AAA, the screening was initiated by the Bolton Wanderers Former Players Association with Ian Seddon playing an integral part in helping to pull the event together on Saturday 28 March.
Seddon, who was pushed into action after former Stoke City player Terry Conroy collapsed and had to endure lifesaving surgery, said: “AAA is a ticking time bomb that you are not aware of, so screening of men aged over 65 and over it vital.”
Wanderers and the club’s Community Trust teamed up with Carol Devine of the South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust to help raise awareness of this life threatening condition and arranged to hold a screening day in the home dressing rooms.
This gave the opportunity for those being screened to have a behind the scenes look at the home of the Whites and also included a tour of the stadium itself.
The club initially contacted 2,000 supporters aged over 65 with a letter signed by manager Neil Lennon, asking them to come for a simple screening alongside meeting former players Seddon, Syd Farrimond, John Thomas, Albert Lord and Stan Walker.
The response was very successful with 20% of those contacted taking up the offer, with the screening team so overwhelmed with the take-up that another session has already been arranged for Saturday 25 April which is already fully booked.
On the first screening, three men were detected with aneurysms and were entered into the surveillance programme while a further two men with sub-aneurysmal aortas were entered into the research programme.
The response and feedback from the NHS and the invitees has been excellent, but for those who have not been on the screening programme, please contact 0161 291 5716 for advice and support.