It was fantastic to have Benjamin Culff from Tamworth in Parliament this week to show Parliamentarians how lives are saved by AED’s.
His own personal story is testament to the vital importance of getting these lifesavers into our homes.
When Benjamin was 17 and studying for his a-levels he had apart time job as a waiter in a local restaurant. He was fit and healthy, regular at the gym but once day at work he suddenly felt very unwell.
His heart began thudding, he slouched against a wall, fell to his knees, then dropped to the ground and blacked out. He'd had a sudden cardiac arrest.
Thankfully his friend Josh administered CPR with guidance from the NHS emergency operator. Other colleagues located the workplace defib but none of them knew how to use it.
The NHS emergency operator talked them through the process, the first shock, nothing happened but the second shock saw Benjamin regain consciousness. In this instance Benjamin was really lucky a defibrillator was on site, it saved his life. For many others who experience cardiac arrests, the story doesn't end so positively due to lack of CPR or defibs.
When Benjamin came across CellAED by Rapid Response Revival he wanted to promote it as much as possible. The AED was created to increase access to defibrillators and overcome the barriers to their use. It is the world's first, hand held, portable defibrillator - you could have one in your home.
At around £200 these snap-peel-stick defibrillators are quick and easy to use and could save lives. It is a fantastic new innovation and one we may see spreading and developing further so that more lives can be saved.
For more information or to follow the project visit their website www.cellaed.io I look forward to seeing this project and similar life saving products develop.
