Defibrillators fitted thanks to efforts of lifesaver Colin
THREE life-saving defibrillators bought after a campaign by an ex-royal Marine who saved his partner’s life have now been installed in Rocester.
Villagers who suffer cardiac arrest now have a higher chance of survival after a defibrillator was connected up at St Michael’s Church. Two others will go up on the Dovefields estate and the village community centre.
It comes after Colin Wood raised more than £4,600 at a sponsored waxing event at the Red Lion pub, which saw childhood pal and Uttoxeter film-maker Shane Meadows turn up.
Months earlier Colin, 52, bravely kept partner Sue Wood, 41, alive for 20 minutes while waiting for an ambulance after her heart stopped.
And Stoke-based defibrillator firm Abacus Training subsidised the final total with a £2,000 donation to Colin’s cause after director Duncan Parsonage read about his story in the Uttoxeter Advertiser.
Colin said: “This deal has enabled Rocester’s residents to be safe by providing total coverage of the main village.
“After my family’s experience, I vowed that I’d do my bit to improve the chances of survival for anybody else that suffers from cardiac arrest in this area.
“The support from Abacus has been outstanding and Duncan’s contribution has allowed us to do more with the donations than we could have done without them.”
Former paramedic Duncan said: “I was moved by Colin’s story and as a campaigner for community defibrillators I thought it was only right that Abacus Training made this contribution to the area.
“We’re already very familiar with Rocester, with my company providing defibrillators and first-aid training to JCB just across the way from where we’re installing these new units.
“These ‘defibs’ are the best in the best in the business. They’re easy to use, cheap to maintain and will be secured in boxes, so they’re safe from theft and the elements.
“I hope they never have to be used, but what Colin has done for the community is something that will certainly be appreciated if they are ever needed. They really are life-savers.”
Colin has thanked Mark Cockshutt, of Uttoxeter-based Hyperion Electrical Contractors Ltd, who did the electrics in the defibrillators for free.