A COVENTRY mum whose daughter died of cardiac arrest has helped to install a new defibrillator in Mount Nod following fund-raising efforts.
Ella Bury passed away from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) in Mount Nod in July 2014 aged just 17.
Mum Karen decided to raise the cash needed for the defibrillator which has now been installed in Ella’s memory.
Karen’s fund-raising efforts have included auctions, raffles, danceathons, and sponsored runs.
The initial motivation began in 2020, when Coun Gary Ridley launched a petition for an old telephone box to be repurposed as a defibrillator which gained more than 300 signatures.
Woodland’s councillors worked with Karen to gain permission for the licence agreement and the Mount Nod Residents Association provided the upkeep of the apparatus and raised their annual subscription to cover the costs of insurance.
No training is needed as the community defibrillator voices step-by-step instructions to the user detailing exactly what to do.
Karen said: “Fund-raising for a defibrillator has been so important to me because around 12 young people between 14 and 35 die from a sudden cardiac arrest every week.
“Most of these were previously fit and healthy, so the quicker a defib is used the higher the chance of survival.
“That is why we need more defibs in our communities and I am happy that Ella’s legacy lives on through this work.”
Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome can lead to unexpected cardiac arrest with no cause being found and is usually due to an untreated abnormal heart rhythm.
Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, Coun Kamran Caan, said: “We know quicker access to defibrillation following a cardiac arrest can improve survival, so it is fantastic the installation of this defibrillator in memory of Ella has been made possible.”
