How one man inspired his community to help save others from cardiac arrest

How one man inspired his community to help save others from cardiac arrest

It’s not very often we hear news that puts a smile on our faces. The heartwarming story of a football coach from North Shields, who inspired a community into action, did just that. After he experienced a terrible, life-changing event, he made sure that others had access to something that saved him. A defibrillator.

The story

Simon Brown was playing football at John Spence Community High School in December last year when he suddenly collapsed on the pitch. Fellow coaches rushed over and gave him immediate CPR at the scene. He had suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest. Every second counts in an emergency like this and a defibrillator from the school was quickly used to resuscitate him. It saved his life.

With a pacemaker fitted in his chest, he left hospital ten days later armed with a new mission. Simon wanted to ensure there were more accessible public defibrillators for his community.

Making a difference

Together with the charity North East Hearts, John and the local community raised enough money to install a defibrillator at The Sportsman Pub in Preston Village. Locals have described the pub as the heart of the community – an ideal place for a defibrillator. Raffles and tombolas were organised, and within a week, they had raised £550. Simon’s family also raised an impressive amount of money completing The Great Northern Run.

With all the community’s efforts combined, they raised more than they planned. The remainder went to North East Hearts to provide even more defibrillators across the region. In the last five years, they have placed 400 defibrillators in the North East of England.

What started as one man’s inspiration quickly turned into community action that could one day save lives. Should it ever be needed, North Shields now have public access to their first defibrillator.

Community action

When a community bounces back from something like this, it shows a life-affirming side of humanity. A side that turns one individual’s emergency into an opportunity to help others. Grassroots action, like the hard work of Simon Brown’s community, does more than just raise money. It spreads awareness of the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest and how easy access to a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death.

Sudden cardiac arrest takes the lives of 100,000 people each year, with around 30,000 cardiac arrests occurring outside of hospital. When defibrillators are used within three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest, a victim’s chance of survival increases from 6% to 74%. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur at any time, even when playing football, highlighting the importance of publicly accessible defibrillators in the workplace, schools, and places of activity and leisure.

At Defib365, we want to ensure that individuals across the UK have access to specialist equipment that can help save lives. Whether you would prefer to lease or buy our products, get in touch today on 0333 050 6649 to find out how we can help you.