Rugby mum's fundraising sees 15th defibrillator unveiled this week after losing teenage son to sudden cardiac arrest

A Rugby mum is on a personal mission to save just one family from the heartache she has suffered since losing her teenage son.

Naomi Rees Issitt has just unveiled the 15th accessible defibrillator in Rugby in memory of her ‘inspirational’ son Jamie.

The 18 year old Rugby College student suffered a cardiac arrest on New Year’s Day while out with friends.

Naomi with the new equipment at the home of Tim Smith, Debbie Mountford and their son Zach. The couple agreed to have the equipment based at their Long Lawford home.

Despite heroic efforts at CPR, Jamie's brain had been so starved of oxygen that he never woke up, and he died in hospital on January 5.

Since losing her son, Naomi has helped raise thousands of pounds to provide life-saving defibrillators for the people of Rugby.

She said: “We continue to fight for change in memory of Jamie. He is such a huge inspiration to us and we hope that plenty more accessible defibrillators will be purchased and installed in our precious boy’s memory.

"We have just unveiled the 15th defibrillator at a residential house in Long Lawford. We have a further ten currently waiting to be installed. People of Rugby have been so supportive and Jamie would be very proud.”

Naomi plunged from the skies in memory of her son.

In the latest fundraiser, the brave mother plunged from the skies in a daring skydive with the Royal Army Parachute Regiment. Naomi was joined by her sister Xavana and brother-in-law Ben.

Naomi said: “It was scary to say the least and we were very nervous, but it was definitely something that we all wanted to do for Jamie. The skydive raised over £1,600 towards more accessible defibrillators.

“We then had the OurJay and Rugby Distillery race night earlier this month. Share Haulage donated £5,000 on the night and then the event raised over £5,000. Rich and Emma from Rugby Distillery were amazing in helping us put all this event together and tickets sold out in the first two weeks.”

In total, the event made £10,160 for the OurJay Foundation.

Naomi added: “We have also received a very generous donation from Freddie’s Wish charity, a Rugby-based charity set up in memory of Freddie Fox, who was tragically taken at just 13 months old in a car accident. They have offered £6,185 to OurJay to purchase five more accessible defibrillators. Charlotte (Freddie’ mother) has been so kind and supportive and obviously we are so grateful to them for this amazing donation.”

Naomi, who is behind the OurJay Foundation website, due to launch on what would’ve been Jamie’s 19th birthday, November 25, is campaigning to prevent her tragic loss happening to anyone else.

She said there the ambulance took 17.5 minutes to reach her son from Coventry.

"If they had been in Rugby I think it would have been very different,” Naomi added.

The mum said if Jamie had been nearer a defibrillator, his chances of survival would’ve been 75 per cent. She is calling for the return of accident and emergency services at Rugby’s Hospital of St Cross. Nearly 12,000 people have signed her petition so far.

Naomi praised her family for all their support since Jamie’s death.

She said: “I honestly could not have kept going if it wasn’t for my supportive family, especially Jay’s brother Callum. Callum, who is 22, misses his brother so much, but he’s a rock for our family.”

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ourjay