School’s letter day to help heart cause
PUPILS from Portico Nursery at West End and Ormskirk West End Primary School came into school dressed in red for Restart a Heart Day last Tuesday.
The school has a defibrillator based onsite which is available not only for the school and Portico Nursery to use in an emergency situation, but for the local community also.
The objective of the day is to remind ourselves how we can take care of our hearts and to raise funds which will go towards replacing the expired defibrillator pads.
A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest.
In Britain around 30,000 people will suffer with a cardiac arrest just going about their normal routine.
Approximately 12 people under the age of 35 will die each week from a sudden cardiac arrest, 270 children die every year from cardiac arrest on school premises so there is no time to lose.
Many schools are not as fortunate as Ormskirk West End Primary to have this equipment onsite, without immediate treatment 90-95% of cardiac arrests will be fatal.
All pupils at Ormskirk West End and Portico nursery were raising their heart beats through various forms of exercise throughout the day.
The children were taking their pulse and learning about the heart through age appropriate activities.
Portico at West End is adjacent to the school and work closely together on a daily basis.
Last Tuesday was another day they join forces to raise awareness for this amazing cause.
Ormskirk West End Primary school is the perfect location for this essential lifesaving equipment to be located at.
It has a park adjacent to the school and is surrounded by residential properties and a pub.
Headteacher, Phil Clarke said: “We want to maintain this vital equipment should any members of our West End community need it.
“A cardiac arrest can affect anyone at any time from young children to adults at home, work or in public places.”
Amanda Wiley who is the manager at Portico nursery West End said: “The children love learning new things and whilst we always learn about what is good for us, last week we focused on the heart.
“The staff and parents have worked extremely hard to have a defibrillator onsite so it’s imperative we look after it.”