Daughter’s death inspires donation of defibrillator

Monday, 30 January 2012 13:23

Peterborough Swim Club has received a new defibrillator donated by a couple raising funds in memory of their daughter.

In 2005, Suzanne Duffy died from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. Her parents have been raising funds ever since by holding a marquee concert, with their son's band Copperface Jack, every year.

In the event of a cardiac arrest, a defibrillator is the only piece of equipment which can restore a normal heart rhythm by administering a therapeutic shock to the heart.

Anne Jolly from SADS UK (the charity who the Duffys raise funds for) said: “We are pleased that the Peterborough Swim Club will be a beneficiary of this potentially lifesaving equipment which can be used to restart the heart if a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.”

12 young people die every week from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, 80% of whom have shown no previous symptoms of a heart condition. Although the current chance of surviving SCA in the UK is only 6%, and the likelihood of survival decreases 7-10% every minute after the event, early defibrillation can improve the chance of survival to 74%.

Find out more about Sudden Cardiac Arrest in young people, and the charity Hand On Heart which is providing free defibrillators to schools, please visit the Hand On Heart website.

 

 

 

 

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