Woman’s campaign leads to defibrillator’s arrival
A BAGWORTH woman’s campaign to provide a life-saving piece of equipment for her village has paid off with the installation of a defibrillator at the community centre.
Maria Crowie-McGrath’s fund-raising activities raised almost £3,000 thanks to Facebook, crowd-funding, collecting tins, a cake stall, a charity dance, a Colourfun run, a craft fair and a donation from the parish council.
Most of the money was used to buy the defibrillator with the remainder being given to the community centre trustees for the upkeep of the equipment.
Maria said: “I was overwhelmed by all the help and support from the local people in helping to raise the funds for this life-saving piece of equipment. I hope it never needs to be used, but it’s comforting to know we have a defibrillator in our village in such an unlikely event.”
Maria first became aware of the need for a defibrillator when she was driving through Thornton and saw a man who had collapsed at the roadside. As a first aider, she stopped to see if she could help those administering CPR while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
Despite their best efforts the man’s heart stopped and he would have died but for the arrival of the paramedics with a defibrillator on board their ambulance. Using the equipment, the paramedics re-started the man’s heart and he survived.
Impressed by the role the defibrillator played in saving the man’s life, Maria decided there and then to launch a campaign to buy one for her own village.
Maria’s campaign impressed local councillor for Bagworth, Chris Boothby, so much that he arranged for her to be presented with a special community award from the Borough Council, in recognition of her efforts for her community.
The Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, presented the award to Maria at a meeting of the full Council, in front of an audience including her family.