Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, met with two volunteers to praise them for the work that they have done to raise awareness and funds for a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD).
The AED lifesaving equipment was recently installed in Featherstone and in Shareshill. The defibrillator will be used as a vital piece of equipment in cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
Gavin has previously met with representatives from AEDdonate to discuss their campaign ‘heartsafe’ which raises money to buy defibrillators to be installed in public places. The scheme helps local communities, businesses and schools to gain access to the vital automated external defibrillators needed to protect against the risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
In addition to fundraising for PADs, the couple have also teamed up with the Cambridge Weight Plan in order to tackle the issue of weightless. In turn they are hoping that this will contribute towards helping those who struggle with weight gain in addition to having health problems related to the heart.
Current UK survival rates among people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital remain extremely poor, varying from 2% to 12% dependent on area. CPR, when combined with effective defibrillation for shock-able rhythms, results in survival rates that exceed 50% and survival rates after prompt defibrillation are as high as 75% have been reported.
After meeting Dawn and Richard Gavin commented: “I very much enjoyed meeting Dawn and Richard and hearing the absolutely fantastic work they have been doing to raise awareness for PADs in Featherstone and also in Shareshill. The work that they are also doing in regards to weight loss and the illness related to heart disease is also very important. Their work could make such a difference to people’s lives.
“By making AED’s more accessible to communities, especially rural communities like we have here in South Staffordshire, we can save lives. The figures which show the difference between getting to a patient who has suffered a SCA and could make a real difference between life and death.”