Tragic pupil's story inspires clinic to act

PEOPLE in the local community and businesses in Shaw who took part in the defibrillator training

SPORTS PHYSIO UK have placed a Community Public Access Defibrillator outside their premises, in memory of Ashley Livesey, in order to help safeguard people in the locality.

The 15-year-old Royton and Crompton school pupil, from Shaw, collapsed and died on a school cross-country run in 2004 from sudden arrhythmia death syndrome (Sads).

Sports Physio UK had raised £1,200 to fund the defibrillator by providing therapies for donations around events in Oldham.

The training for use of the defibrillator, which included 20 participants from the local community businesses across Shaw, was carried out by North West Ambulance Service at the business, on Market Street Shaw.

Rick Livesey, 29, Senior MSK Physiotherapist at Sports Physio UK, said: "I'd like to thank the ambulance service for making the training run smoothly, it was really interactive.

"Hopefully the defibrillator will never get used, but what this is about is making the equipment accessible to the public should they need it."

A defibrillator is the only piece of equipment that will restore the heart rhythm. If a person goes into cardiac arrest it is crucial that the person is administered a therapeutic shock delivered by the defibrillator as quickly as possible to give them the best chance of survival. The Automated External Defibrillator is easy to use thanks to voice prompts that guide the rescuer.

The defibrillator outside Sports Physio UK is in a heated metal cabinet so that the general public may also use it if there is a cardiac emergency.

Anne Jolly, Founder of Sads UK, the Ashley Jolly Sad Trust, said: "Using CPR alone provides a five per cent chance of survival but using the defibrillator as well increases the chance of survival to more than 50 per cent."

For further information about Sads, please contact Anne Jolly, on 01277 811215.