A LIFE-SAVING defibrillator has been donated to a popular community centre by a caring dental hygienist practice who used similar equipment to resuscitate a patient.
Staff at Maggie Jackson’s Independent Dental and Hygiene Services (MIDHS) on Arundel Street in Mossley brought Simon Walker back to life twice with a defibrillator and CPR after he suffered a heart attack in their waiting room last April.
Now, the kind-hearted practice is donating a Heartsine Samaritan Pad defibrillator, which it received free from Heartsine Technologies through the British Red Cross for saving a life, to Mossley Community Centre.
Receptionist Charlotte Anderson-Hughes, 23, rushed to Simon’s aid with nurse Charlie Wrigley and dentist Chandra Mehta when he collapsed at the surgery.
She explained: “We wanted to give the defibrillator to somewhere local as we already have our own.
“It’s a popular centre used by all ages. Hopefully they will never have to use the defibrillator but if they do then it is there to hopefully save another life.”
Maggie Jackson, proprietor at MIDHS, added: “We’ve never had to use a defibrillator before in my 50 years of business but to have it there for the one time we needed it was worth it.”
MIDHS will also generously be paying for first aid training for all group leaders at Mossley Community Centre, using local business First Aid for All.
Simon, 53, praised MIDHS staff for their quick-thinking to save his life and welcomed the addition of another defibrillator for use by the community if necessary.
He said: “I am so lucky I collapsed where it did and the staff were wonderful. If I had been a couple of hundred yards away there would have been no one and no defib to save me.
“A lot of local schools have defibs which is great to see – and now here’s another one for the community.”
Simon, who works in communications for a pensions company, underwent surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital after his heart attack and has made a full recovery.
He added: “I’ve lost four stone and I’m feeling better than ever before. It has been life changing, life restoring even. Soon I’ll be celebrating the first birthday of my second life!”
To mark the anniversary of his surgery next May, Simon is doing a sponsored 84-mile walk of Hadrian’s Wall and has already raised more than £800 for the British Heart Foundation and Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome UK.
Robert Wells, from the British Red Cross who provide first aid training in the work place and for the public, added: “It’s great to see more and more people having access to defibrillators.
“When used alongside CPR, a defibrillator gives an unconscious non-breathing person the best possible chance of survival. Learning basic first aid skills can and does help to save lives.”
Anyone who wishes to sponsor Simon can visit: www.justgiving.com/Simon-Walker21
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