Supermarket staff saved my life.. we need more defibs
Aldi heroes’ CPR on customer, 81
A GREAT-great grandfather has thanked Aldi staff for saving his life after they gave him CPR in the absence of a defibrillator when he collapsed in the supermarket.
Kevin Green, 81, and his family are backing the Mirror’s campaign for the devices to be installed in all public places after his cardiac arrest at a selfservice checkout last month.
With the nearest defibrillator a 10-minute walk away, quickthinking staff gave the regular customer chest compressions until ambulance workers arrived with the kit and resuscitated him.
Retired steel erector Kevin, whose heart “stopped” for 19 minutes, was taken to hospital where loved ones were told to “prepare for the worst” – only for him to make a full recovery. Kevin – who has two daughters, four grandkids, six great-grandkids and three great-greatgrandkids – said: “There was no defibrillator close by so I was lucky that Aldi staff were trained and able to help me. “I would like to say a big thank you to them for acting so quickly. They saved my life. I now feel on top of the world.” The Mirror is campaigning to get defibrillators installed in all public spaces, like sports clubs and designated shops. Many supermarkets already have the devices, which shock the heart to restore a stable rhythm during cardiac arrest and have clear instructions so anyone can use them. Cardiac arrest survival rates are 70% if a defibrillator is used within five minutes but this drops by 10% for every minute delay after.
And Kevin “fully supports” our campaign after his ordeal in Batley,
West Yorks, last month, insisting: “Everyone who needs emergency care should have access to a defibrillator.”
After two weeks recovering in hospital Kevin returned to Aldi, where he has shopped every week for over 10 years, to thank the two workers who saved him.
This week his granddaughter Joanne Foley, 43, a nurse, set up a fundraising page to buy a defibrillator for the store, passing its £1,000 target in just two days.
Kevin’s daughter Belinda Self, 59, said: “We’re not the only family to be affected by this issue, and not everybody is lucky enough to have trained first-aiders nearby to save them.”
Any extra funds raised will be used to buy more defibrillators to improve access. Research by the British Heart Foundation found that a person is, on average around a 19-minute walk away from the nearest defibrillator. Politicians this week demanded that all emergency vehicles be fitted with the life-saving kit, after finding just one in 11 police cars have them already.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Defibrillators has called for all public buildings to have them.
Retired NHS worker Belinda said: “We definitely support the Mirror’s campaign.
“Defibrillators save lives and my dad is testament to that.
“We cannot thank the staff at Aldi and everyone else who helped him enough.” Aldi was approached for comment.
■ To donate to the appeal, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/raising-money-to-giftaldi-batley-with-a-defib