The Rianna Wingett Award : Beyond the Call of Duty for FH - Winners
The Rianna Wingett Award is in memory of Rianna, who after finishing a cross country run at school heart stopped beating. She collapsed on the school playing fields in November 2009. A post-mortum revealed one of the main arteries to her heart was so clogged with cholesterol that the gap left for the blood to flow through was no bigger than a pin prick. One heart disease expert later estimated that Rianna's cholesterol level would have been as high as 20 mmol/l, four times the normal adult level. Despite all efforts, Rianna died. The post mortem revealed Rianna's heart had become enlarged because it had been working so hard to pump blood through blocked blood vessels.
2024 - Kate Haralambos
Kate was initially funded to support English FH Services, which ended in 2017, but she has continued offering support to all PASS using services on a volunteer basis. Kate has been there for advice and an expert source of knowledge regarding all things FH, genetic counselling and PASS (as a volunteer). She never complains, and does it for the sake of patients/colleagues. She is incredible to put in so much time, off her own back supporting everyone and we can’t thank her enough.
(Award presented by Dr Pete Green, HEART UK Chairman to Kate Haralambos at HEART UK’s 37th Annual Medical & Scientific conference held in Coventry)
2023 - Dr Ian McDowell (Cardiff Lipid and cardiovascular Risk factor Clinic)
Patient nomination: “…Ian has successfully brought our cholesterol numbers to a healthy level. Ian has made us feel in control of our condition by explaining things clearly, involving us and finding the right treatment to achieve our results….” “…Ian was the driving force behind implementing the world renowned cascade screening service for FH in Wales, without which, many FH patients would still be undiagnosed...”
(Award presented by Dr Alan Rees, Medical Director of HEART UK to Dr McDowell at HEART UK’s 36th Annual Medical & Scientific conference held in Coventry)
2022 - Dr Graham Bayly (Bristol Royal Infirmary)
Patient nomination: “...My consultant has been amazing since I was referred to him. I feel he is a perfect example of how a consultant should deal with FH patients and feel he has saved my life and that of my nephew. He has helped educate my family and dispel myths that have caused a great deal of distress in my family…”
(Award presented by Dr Alan Rees, Medical Director of HEART UK to Lisa Gritzmacher who collected the award on Dr Bayly’s behalf at HEART UK’s 35th Annual Medical & Scientific conference held in Coventry)
2021 - Sister Clare Neuwirth (Lipid Specialist Nurse at Hammersmith Hospital)
Colleague nomination “…I have known Clare for many years, she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of apheresis and an attentive and caring attitude towards her patients...”
2021 - Ms Moyra Cather (Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Specialist Nurse, Department of Clinical Genetics, Belfast City Hospital)
Patient nomination “…Moyra was instrumental in establishing the multidisciplinary regional FH service in Northern Ireland, and she remains the glue that holds it all together. We all rely on her. In a quiet, self-effacing way, she is tireless in her dedication to identifying adults and children with FH and ensuring they are treated properly…”
(Awards presented at HEART UK’s 34th Annual Medical & Scientific conference held virtually)
2020 - Conference cancelled due to Covid
2019 – Emma Neves (Clinical nurse specialist, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital, London)
HCP nomination
2018 – Lisa Gritzmacher (FH Clinical Nurse Specialist, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Trust)
HCP nomination “…Lisa’s passion for FH shines through when she presents at local and national conferences, she has raised awareness of this condition locally to patients and HCPs, particularly in primary care. She has also been innovative in helping to develop the PASS system with the aid of the FH Audit and Genetics Database Analyst to create reports identifying number of index cases and relatives assessed and identified as having FH”.
2017 – Lorraine Preistley-Barnham (Clinical nurse specialist, Harefield Hospital, London)
Charity nomination “…“Her role in helping us to write publications for children with FH, giving us advice on the condition and helping us learn how to talk to children with FH was incredibly valuable to our services. We now have a children's and young people’s programme, and three booklets full of information for them. She is always there when we need a helping hand.”
2016 – n/a
2015 - Delyth Townsend (FH Nurse, Wales)
Patient nomination “…Delyth pro-actively looks for new FH patients by collaborating with GP services and works independently arranging clinics for FH patients. She encourages families to all be tested but she is very focussed on patients and families and going the extra mile is standard practice for her and she is always thinking about what works best for patients and families.”
2014 – Robert Gingell (FH nurse, North Wales)
Patient nomination “…Rob has been instrumental in setting up GP Primary LDL search for North Wales. This involved numerous meetings with many interested parties in order to be allowed to utilise the data - no mean feat! He then spent 100's of hours of his own time in reviewing the data to find potential FH Patients.”