The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Daughter inspired to fund local defib
AFife woman has opened up about how her father’s near-death experience inspired her to fundraise for life-saving equipment in his village.
Kathleen Snaddon raised almost £2,000 for a defibrillator in Bonnybank, Levenmouth, after her elderly father took ill in the night and nearly died.
The 58-year-old was spurred into action when her mum couldn’t access the nearest defibrillator to help dad, Bill O’neill, when he had a heart problem on Hogmanay.
Now, thanks to her fundraising and support from the community, a defibrillator has been installed outside the Bonnybank Inn.
Kathleen said: “Dad became seriously ill in the early hours and I had to call for an ambulance.
“While I was on the phone and waiting for an ambulance to arrive we were advised to find our nearest defibrillator.
“The nearest defibrillator was less than a mile away from mum and dad, however they and their neighbours have no access to a car.
“My husband and I live in Methil and didn’t know where it was.
“When we arrived at the house I saw my dad lying on the floor and genuinely thought he was going to die. I felt distraught and it was very scary.”
“I phoned my sister who is a nurse and ensured we remained calm as we waited for the ambulance.
“Thankfully, dad has recovered but I felt that something must be done in case there are any further medical emergencies in the area involving people who may not be able to drive.”
Kathleen set up a Justgiving page to donate but wanted to do more.
One of her hobbies is swimming so for three months Kathleen posted updates on the page of her trips, which she called her “daily dip for a defib”.
So far, Kathleen has raised £1,760 which has paid for the defibrillator, which was installed on Thursday and leftover cash will be used to maintain the equipment, as well as a donation to the Ambulance Staff Charity.
She added: “The defibrillator was sourced through East Neuk First Responders who have been excellent.
“My daughter works for William Grant & Sons (distiller) and they kindly matched the amount of money that has been raised.
“Richard and Rebecca Hamilton, owners of the Bonnybank Inn, also made a generous donation and agreed to have the defibrillator installed on their building.”