Denise, who is involved in installing publicly accessible defibrillators in and around the Hale area has a passion in educating others of the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator in a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) emergency.
Sadly, in 2021 Denise lost her husband to SCA while he was at home. After such a devastating loss, she decided to start fundraising and raising awareness so other families would not go through the same pain.
Since that day, Denise has managed to fundraise and install 12 defibrillators throughout the village along with running community training for locals to educate them on how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator, and the difference between heart attack and SCA.
What is the difference between a heart attack and SCA?
The terms heart attack and SCA are often mistaken. A heart attack is a plumbing issue. A blockage in the arteries stops blood flow to the heart and the person suffering the heart attack is conscious, but suffering with severe pain.
A SCA is an electrical issue. The heart’s electrical system malfunctions and blood is no longer pumped around the body to the vital organs and the brain, causing instant unconsciousness. SCA requires quick, effective treatment of CPR and the use of a defibrillator. Without this vital treatment, the chance of survival decreases by 10% per minute
(Above: one of the many publicly accessible defibrillators in the Hale area)
More recently, a local mother suffered a SCA while out in the village, thankfully her daughter was educated about the importance of CPR and defibrillators. While CPR was being performed, she ran to the nearest defib at the local Tesco and brought it to her mother before emergency services arrived. Her quick thinking and the publicly accessible defibrillator, saved her mothers life.
Time is essential during SCA
Every second counts when someone suffers a SCA, making timing a crucial factor in the chain of survival.
Early CPR:
Administering CPR promptly is vital to sustaining blood circulation and oxygenation to the body's organs, particularly the brain. This underscores the critical importance of bystander CPR in increasing the likelihood of survival until professional help arrives.
Early Defibrillation:
In cases of cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT), defibrillation is essential to restore the heart's normal rhythm. The use of a defibrillator significantly improves survival rates. The sooner defibrillation is administered within 3-5 minutes increases survival chances from 6% to 74%.
The 12 defibrillators that are in the community are all registered on The Circuit and available for public use. The Circuit national defibrillator network provides a national overview as to where defibrillators can be found. When you register your defibrillator on The Circuit, the location of the defibrillator and status is instantly synchronised with the emergency services' systems to ensure the information is kept up to date and ready to help save lives.
Denise is not wanting to stop at 12, she will continue to fundraise for more defibrillators and outdoor cabinets in and around the Hale area, so in the event of a SCA emergency the person has the best chance of survival. She will also continue to raise awareness and educate others by running fundraising events and training classes for her community.
We will continue to support Denise with all their defibrillator supplies and knowledge needs.
Got a story for us? contact one of the team today on 0161 776 7422.
