High-profile celebrities including HRH Princess Eugenie of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, Sir Michael Parkinson, David Walliams, and British Heart Foundation Ambassador Pippa Middleton, turned out to support the Frost family’s final Summer Party to raise money for the Miles Frost Fund last month.
The prestigious event, at Burton Court in Chelsea, London, returned for a final time with a star-studded guest list to help raise awareness and vital funds towards improving diagnosis for the inherited heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
The Miles Frost Fund was set up in partnership with us earlier this year, in memory of Miles Frost, who died tragically from a cardiac arrest caused by HCM aged just 31. It’s thought that Miles inherited the condition from his father Sir David Frost, who was found to have the condition when he died.
Celebrities including BHF Ambassador Pippa Middleton, Sir Michael Caine, Dame Esther Rantzen, Derren Brown, Oliver Proudlock, Susanna Reid, Robert Peston, Piers Morgan, former England footballers Sol Campbell and David Seaman, and socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson attended the illustrious event – the first held in aid of the Miles Frost Fund.
The Frost summer parties became the highlight of the London social scene ever since Sir David began hosting them in 1984, being well-attended by a guest list of high-profile politicians and stars of stage, screen and sport. It continued as an annual tradition until Sir David died in 2013.
Life saving genetic testing
An estimated 120,000 people across the UK are thought to be living with a faulty gene that causes the inherited heart condition HCM, the majority of whom experience no symptoms. However, for some – like Miles Frost – HCM can lead to sudden death at a young age, often without any warning.
The Fund aims to raise £1.5m to ensure genetic testing is available nationwide for immediate family members of those affected by HCM to identify those at risk.
George Frost said: "We would like to thank everyone who came to our final summer party to help support the Miles Frost Fund.
“Nothing will ever fill the void left by Miles’ death. Losing him has been more difficult than any of us can bear, but if we can help stop anyone else from experiencing this same pain it will be a great comfort.”
Simon Gillespie, BHF Chief Executive, adds: "Around 120,000 people are thought to be living with HCM in the UK. This silent killer can often strike without warning, which is why improving diagnosis, so that we can better identify those at risk is paramount.
"The Frost Summer Party has been a fantastic event, which has really helped raise the profile of HCM and the importance of getting a nationwide cascade testing service set up in the UK.
"I cannot praise the Frost family highly enough for setting up this fund in memory of Miles Frost and trying to protect other families from the devastating impact of this terrible condition."
Source: British Heart Foundation
