Torquay harbourside shop owner Josh Lowes who runs Ace Printwear has raised enough money for not 1 but 2 Defibrillators and cabinets as 32 businesses unite and quickly raise funds.
At a network event Josh learnt that having quick access to Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and a defibrillator can literally be the difference between life and death for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). In fact the chances of survival from SCA in the UK are an abysmal 7% however with quick access to CPR and Defibrillation case studies have shown that chances of survival can significantly increase to a remarkable 74% survival rate.
Josh remembers the day he decided there was a desperate need for a defibrillator machine on Torquay harbourside: “I was outside my shop, ACE, and this family of four was walking past.
“Right in front of me the dad of the family dropped to the floor.
“I assumed he was having a heart attack. The family were all really emotional and we rang the paramedics.
“But the worst part was that while we were waiting we all just stood there. We couldn’t do a thing to help. All I remember was thinking ‘There’s nothing I can do to help’.
“The feeling of helplessness was horrible. To this day I don’t know what happened to that family or to their dad.”
He appealed to the family to contact him, saying: “I would really love to hear from them if they are reading this.”
The defibrillators were handed over by Essential 6 Ltd at an evening event kindly hosted by Maura Pettinelli of Amici and Biancos Italian restaurants in Torwood Street.
