New defibrillator for school

Supporting the national cardiac charity SADS UK’s Big Shock Campaign, Joe’s parents, Tracey and Stephen Spooner, presented a defibrillator to the Brownsover school.

Joe’s parents have worked tirelessly to raise the funds to put lifesaving defibrillators into the community.

Defibrillator training will be carried out by the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Anne Jolly, founder of SADS UK, the Ashley Jolly SAD Trust, said: “Stephen and Tracey Spooner have raised a lot of awareness in their community, letting people know that cardiac arrest can affect all ages.

“Through their generosity their local community has benefitted from having a defibrillator, along with lifesaving training.”

Defibrillators restore the heart rhythm if a person goes into cardiac arrest and the earlier one is used the better the chance of survival.

The defibrillator placed at the school is easy to use by the layperson, providing voice prompts to the rescuer.

The SADS UK Big Shock Campaign wants legislation to make defibrillators available in all schools and widely in the community, and has the support of the ambulance services, the charity’s patron Dr Hilary Jones of TV’s Good Morning Britain, and actress Dame Helen Mirren, who heads the charity’s defibrillator leaflet.

After meeting policymakers, SADS UK is pleased that the Department for Education is advising schools to consider the defibrillator as part of their first aid equipment.

Copies of ‘The Warning Signs’ leaflets have been provided to the school to assist people who may have an underlying cardiac condition to be identified and treated.