Lucy leads a new drive to replace lost lifesaver
THE sister of a teenage boy who collapsed and died while running for his school has launched a campaign to replace a stolen piece of equipment that could have revived him.
Ashley Livesey, from Shaw, was just 15 when he passed away in 2004.
He had been representing Royton and Crompton School in a cross country race when he collapsed suddenly.
There was no defibrillator on site, and tragically the ambulance crews weren’t able to reach him in time.
Following the teenager’s death, his family and friends set about raising cash to buy the life-saving pieces of equipment, which were then donated to local schools and sports clubs.
One defibrillator was installed outside Sports Physio UK on Market Street, which is part-ran by Ashley’s twin sister Lucy Livesey, 29.
Over the years, it has been used a number of times – people who ring 999 are told how to access it and talked through how to use it while an ambulance is sent.
Earlier this week, a man collapsed on Market Street from a suspected cardiac issue, but when someone went to get the defibrillator from its box, they discovered it was missing.
Luckily, the gent was taken to hospital and recovered, but Lucy fears the outcome could have been a lot worse and says it is vital the missing equipment is replaced as quickly as possible.
She explained that Ashley’s death was originally put down to SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) – a condition which can cause a cardiac arrest even if the person has no underlying heart problems.
She said: “They didn’t have a defibrillator in the park, and the ambulance couldn’t get to him in time.
“Our family feel that if there would have been a defibrillator on site then there could have been a chance of reviving him. That’s the reason we began fundraising.”
Each year, Ashley’s friends and loved ones take part in the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride, with all cash raised by ‘Team Ash’ going towards buying more defibrillators for the community.
Lucy added: “SADS is more common than people realise. People are walking around and they don’t even know there is something wrong with them.
“If there were enough defibrillators around then these people would have a better chance of survival.
“They really are such important pieces of equipment, which is why we need to make sure this one is replaced as soon as possible.”
Lucy and her husband Rick, 31, who run Sports Physio UK with Rick’s dad Dave Sedgewick and friend Scott Woodhead, have launched a fundraising campaign to raise money to buy a new defibrillator. They believe the equipment was stolen, but say there is a small chance it was used and never put back. It’s understood the North West Ambulance Service are currently looking into this.
The appeal page says: “Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a victim’s survival rate by 7 to 10 per cent.
“Without immediate treatment, 90-95 per cent of cardiac arrests prove fatal.
“We need to help and will continue our fund raising, but please do what you can and help the community of Shaw and help raise the funds for this crucial piece of kit.”
To donate visit www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sportsphysiouk. A spokesperson for NWAS said: “All of our public access defibrillators are checked regularly and have dedicated guardians who watch over them. Despite this, this particular defibrillator has recently been found to be missing and an investigation is currently underway to find out its whereabouts.
“Thankfully, this defibrillator has not yet been needed for a cardiac arrest but it is very important for the community that we work quickly to get it back where it belongs. In the event of a cardiac arrest every second is crucial as for every minute without defibrillation the patient’s chance of survival decreases by 10 percent.
“We are very grateful to members of the community who do a fantastic job in raising money for defibrillators to help save lives.”