Ellen’s story
Ellen was full of life, with so much still ahead of her. None of us could have imagined what was coming because this condition gave us no warning. You cannot see it. You cannot feel it. That is why Pledge a Heart Test matters so deeply to us.” Violet – Ellen’s Mum
Ellen Cassidy was a past pupil of St Angela’s College. In July 2025 while running the Cork City Marathon, she died suddenly from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), a hidden heart condition with no warning signs that can affect people who are young, fit and healthy.
Pledge A Heart Test exists so that every current student gets the chance Ellen didn’t: to be checked, and to come home safely.
Violet Cassidy, Ellen’s Mum
“Nothing will ever bring Ellen back to us. But if sharing Ellen’s story encourages even one girl to be checked and gives even one family the chance to hold on to their daughter, then something meaningful can grow from the heartbreak we carry each day.”
“What we ask of every parent reading Ellen’s story is simple! pledge a heart for your own daughter. Give her the chance Ellen should have had, the chance to be checked, to be protected and to come home safely to the people who cherish her. We are asking you to do this in Ellen’s name, for each student in St Angela’s College and for every family who should never have to endure the loss that we will carry forever.”
Why this matters
Up to 100 young people die in Ireland every year from SADS. As many as 1 in 300 people may carry a heart condition without knowing it. In Italy, where cardiac screening became mandatory for anyone in competitive sport in the 1980s, sudden cardiac deaths have fallen by 89%.
An estimated fifth of all sudden cardiac deaths in young people are caused by SADS. However, the condition is highly treatable if caught early. Healthcare organizations recommend that active young people and athletes undergo preventative cardiac screening to check for silent rhythm abnormalities before symptoms or emergencies occur.
Screening is carried out by Advanced Medical Services (AMS), based in Cork, using European Society of Cardiology and International Olympic Committee guidelines: an ECG plus a medical review for every student.
How to get involved
Pat Curran, Principal:
“At St Angela’s, our responsibility is to care for the whole person. Education will always be at the heart of what we do, but so too is the health, wellbeing and safety of every girl entrusted to our care. The frightening reality of an underlying heart condition is that there may be no obvious warning. A young person can appear fit and healthy and still be at risk. That is why screening matters.
“Our ambition is simple: we want every student in our school to have the opportunity to be screened, and we do not want a family’s financial circumstances to stand in the way. We are asking our parents, our past pupils, Cork businesses and the wider community to stand with us and help make that possible. A €100 pledge gives one girl a heart screening. One pledge, one student, one heart checked, and potentially one life protected.”
