COULD YOU HELP TO SAVE A LIFE? by Natalie McCulloch
In the UK alone at least 12 ‘healthy’ young people will die every week from heart conditions they didn’t even know they had. Leading heart charity, Calon Hearts, is on a mission to make these shocking figures a thing of the past by aiming to reduce this number and aspiring for a future whereby nobody in Wales dies prematurely from heart disease. Calon hearts believe that no family should lose a loved one to a heart condition that could have been detected and managed. To succeed in their mission Calon hearts need your help and support to put in place more lifesaving strategies into our Welsh communities. If you feel inclined to know more, try and answer these 3 simple questions: 1. Would you be confident to deliver lifesaving CPR or use a defibrillator in a time of need? It’s estimated that 74% of people in the UK don’t know CPR or are unsure how to do it. Part of Calon hearts vision is to deliver FREE CPR and defibrillator training in Wales. So far, thanks to the support of trained paramedics, doctors and nurses, they have trained nearly 8000 people in CPR, placed nearly 20,000 defibrillators, and screened nearly 7000
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hearts in the UK in settings such as schools, sports clubs and communities. Their aim is to ensure people can act confidently and without hesitation in an emergency. If you feel you, or your community could benefit from a session, please do get in touch with them today! You never know when you may need these skills! 2. Do you know where your nearest defibrillator is? In an emergency, each minute that is wasted reduces the chances of saving that life by 10%. Accessibility to a defibrillator is key to saving a life, so knowing where one is, is key. Calon hearts mission is to ensure that nobody is further than 100 meters away from a publicly accessible defibrillator in Wales. Calon Hearts have placed nearly 20,000 already but they need your support to place more defibrillators into Welsh communities, do you know somewhere that could benefit?
