A gentleman in his 50’s from the village of Maerdy in the Rhondda Valley had his life saved by local Policemen using a HeartSine samaritan® PAD 500P defibrillator with accurate CPR feedback. It had previously been donated by HeartSafe® to the community and was located in a HeartSafe® public access cabinet outside the local Police House.
Below is a quote from the survivor’s daughter, Martine Mitchell:
“It was amazing, I did not know what was happening to dad, he was unwell and on the floor and at first I thought he was having a fit. We soon realised he was not breathing. The Police were on the scene helping and one of them went to get the defibrillator from the HeartSafe® cabinet at the Community Base. I cut Dad’s t-shirt and we were giving chest compressions and when the pads were placed on Dad’s chest, the defibrillator started to talk to us and tell us what to do. Police Constable Steve Davies was one of the Policemen giving compressions.
I remember the defibrillator starting to tell the Police to push harder and different Policemen took it in turns to give chest compressions. The Police also gave mouth to mouth and when the defibrillator arrived they used the pocket mask which was with the defibrillator. It was like having a trained professional person in the room as the defibrillator kept telling everyone what to do. It started to shock Dad every 2 minutes and I think on the fourth shock it said pulse detected.
We had to continue giving chest compressions as the defibrillator kept telling us to do so.
The Paramedics arrived and took over from the Police. We were so lucky because from when the defibrillator was first used until the Ambulance arrived, it must have been at least 25 minutes.
Dad was taken to hospital where he spent 8 weeks but we all know had it not been for the defibrillator that HeartSafe® AED Locator had donated, Dad would not be with us today.
It still amazes me that such a small machine that we pass every day is the reason my father is still here with us, thanks so much.
Thank you to the local Police, Paramedics, HeartSafe® and everyone else who helped”.
Weekly throughout the World lives are being saved using this amazing British defibrillator. Only this week a Sports Centre in Bristol used their HeartSine 500P to help save the life of a man who suffered an SCA. HeartSafe® cannot stress enough the importance of having a defibrillator specifically designed to assist lay people with little or no training as well as trained personnel. During CPR accurate instructions are given to “press harder, faster, slower”. This can make all the difference.
