20 year old footballer survives cardiac arrest

A young footballer was left fighting for his life on Thursday night after he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during a 5-a-side match in Northampton.

20 year old Jordan Sweeney collapsed after suffering an SCA midway through a game at the Goals Soccer Centre in Mereway, Northampton and only survived because of the immediate CPR which was provided by an ex-firefighter.

Kyle Grant, 26, provided immediate CPR to Jordan whilst his friends and other footballers contacted the emergency services who supplied a defibrillator on their arrival to continue providing treatment. He was rushed to Northampton General Hospital and was put into a medically induced coma in intensive care.

A spokesperson for the East Midlands Ambulance Service said: “When our crews arrived they immediately recognised that the patient was in cardiac arrest and were able to use a defibrillator to shock his heart. A crew, fast response paramedic and team leader all responded to the call and provided rapid life saving treatment before taking the patient to hospital.”

Due to the immediate CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) provided to Jordan, his heart was in a ‘shockable rhythm’ allowing the EMAS the ability to supply a defibrillator shock immediately upon arrival.

A defibrillator, combined with the immediate application of CPR, is the only form of treatment for someone who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. If treatment is provided within 3-5 minutes of collapse, patient’s survival chances increase from 6% to 74%.

The chain of survival was key to Jordan’s survival and the speed in which treatment was provided ensured that a positive outcome was possible. It is now believed Jordan has come out of his coma and is continuing his recovery in hospital.

defibshop Sales Administrator Lindsay Atherton said: “Without question, the actions taken by Kyle ensured that Jordan had the best possible chance of survival. The speed in which care was provided was critical, as was the alerting of the emergency services and the use of a defibrillator upon their arrival.”

“We are dedicated to placing as many lifesaving public access defibrillators up and down the country as possible. And we believe that every sports club and leisure facility should have a defibrillator as an extension of their first aid kit for moments like this.’

‘They’re designed to be easy to use allowing anyone, with training or not, to be able to provide immediate, lifesaving treatment to someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest – which can affect anyone and at any time.”

If you would like to learn more about the defibrillators we have available, including our sports package deals, contact the defibshop team on 0845 071 0830. With more than 11 years worth of experience working within the defibrillator industry, we’ll happily provide friendly and impartial to help you find the right equipment to suit your requirements.