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Campaign for Sports Club Defibrillators

Published on 31st March 2017

When you work with some of the fittest and most athletic people on the planet, ensuring you have an emergency defibrillator available may not always feel the top of your list as a sports club, but with thousands of sports clubs across the UK from football, rugby and cricket to swimming, gymnastics and tennis, it’s an important responsibility that you are able to provide the best health care equipment on site if injury should happen.

A Leeds rugby player, 58 year old Terry Lofthouse, recently told his story to the Yorkshire Post after he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch during the game.

His heart stopped and it was thanks to spectators using CPR combined with the use of a defibrillator that they managed to save his life.

Terry was rushed by air ambulance to Leeds hospital and received emergency surgery. The York Locomotive Masters, the team that Mr Lofthouse plays for, are now on a mission to provide lifesaving defibrillator equipment for other clubs across the UK, they have set up a donations page to raise funds towards the cause.

Terry Lofthouse spoke to The Yorkshire Post and said “I cannot remember what happened as I have lost all my memory from that week. I was told [players] Lee Slater performed CPR on me then David McCabe used the defibrillator, they saved me.”

Mr Lofthouse and his team are also keen for other clubs to fundraise for equipment. Their message is, much like them, you could have a player in your team with an undiagnosed heart condition. Having a defibrillator on site could save a life.