In the wake of Christian Eriksen’s sudden cardiac arrest playing for Denmark in the UEFA European Championships in 2021, the Premier League launched a scheme to install defibrillators at grassroots clubs.
Since then, the Premier League Defibrillator Fund has installed 2,000 defibs across England and Wales, in partnership with the Football Foundation and The FA.
Although it is hoped that they are never needed, the use of defibs in a medical emergency can be the difference between life and death.
That was the case last October when Dave Orton suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed to the ground while playing for his walking football group at Saffron Dynamo FC in Leicestershire.
Thanks to the reactions of his quick-thinking team-mates, who administered CPR and attached a Premier League defibrillator, Dave has made a full recovery and is back playing the game he loves.
“I am very lucky,” Dave says. “If I’d been walking in the park and I had a cardiac arrest with no defibrillator around, no CPR, who knows?
“That defib is a lifesaver, it really is. What an amazing piece of equipment. I owe my life to the defibrillator and to my friends who did so much on the day…
Last week, Dave and his friends were preparing for their twice-weekly walking football session when Leicester City title-winning captain Wes Morgan dropped in for a surprise visit as part of the Premier League’s More than a game celebration.
Wes was able to learn more about the incident and the role of the defib before presenting Dave with a Leicester City shirt. He then took to the pitch to join in with the action…
FULL STORY at source: https://www.premierleague.com/news/4244105
Author: The Walking Football
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