Life-savinggiftin Kieran’smemory
Young players with the Stirling Albion Junior Academy were presented with a potentially life saving gift.
The Kieran McDade Foundation handed over a defibrillator to the club aimed at ensuring the youngsters, and others, are given the best chance in the event of life threatening incident.
Thirteen year old Kieran McDade, from Airdrie, played for Dunbeth Football Club’s 2003 squad when on August 26, 2016 he suffered a cardiac arrest during a training session and tragically passed away. After the loss of their teammate Dunbeth FC, based near Coatbridge, set up the Kieran McDade Foundation to raise funds to purchase defibrillators to be distributed to other football clubs.
To date the foundation has supplied 15 local clubs with defibrillators.
Martin Holmes of the foundation and Dunbeth FC said “We hope this equipment gives the parents a little bit of comfort in knowing that when their child is at football this will help to give them the best possible chance of life if the unfortunate happens.
“The average cost of a defibrillator is £1,000 and we are actively seeking more funding and donations to provide more clubs with this potentially lifesaving equipment. If you wish to donate in any sort of way then please contact our Facebook page for further details.”
The defibrillator was handed over to Junior Academy chairperson Nicola Howieson before an end-of-season 2003s match between Stirling Albion Junior Academy and Dunbeth FC at Stirling High School.
Nicola said: “The selfless fundraising by Dunbeth Football Club is amazing and everyone involved with the Junior Academy is so grateful that they chose us to receive one of their defibrillators.”