Football coach sudden cardiac arrest inspires friends to raise funds for a defibrillator outside a gym in Timperley

A Timperley football coach’s sudden ‘dice with death’ has inspired his gym mates to raise funds and install a defibrillator outside a Park Road gym to benefit the community.

And Darren Storey’s life-changing experience has also motivated him to highlight the importance of increased access to life-saving defibrillators.

Involved in multiple roles with Unicorn Athletic Junior FC for more than 25 years, including setting up the club’s walking football sessions, Darren described his heart issues as a ‘total wake-up call’.

He said that despite a healthy lifestyle which includes several gym sessions each week, it has made him aware that: “Anyone, however healthy, is at risk from a sudden cardiac arrest which may have devastating consequences so it’s vital that defibrillators are more easily accessible to prevent potential tragedies.”

The British Heart Foundation states that more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the UK, with nine out of 10 fatal. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation decreases a person’s chances of survival by up to 10% however prompt CPR and defibrillation can more than double someone’s chance of survival.

Fund-raising by Darren’s gym mates has enabled a vital defibrillation device to be installed outside Sean Salinger Fitness on Timperley’s Park Road Estate which can be easily accessed 24/7 by those in need and potentially save lives.

Said Darren: “Experiencing a sudden heart issue makes you very aware of your mortality. I’m more conscious than ever of where to access support if someone has a cardiac arrest.

“After my experience, I ended up in hospital and was worrying about work. My son Sam simply said: ‘They can get a replacement estimator, but I can’t get another dad.’ That was hard to hear. Life is precious and it’s important we do all we can to help others so I’m eager to create awareness of where people can access a defibrillator in case it’s ever needed.”

Darren’s mission inspired the members of Sean Salinger Fitness to raise funds for a defibrillator to be accessible to all the community and he is now keen to ensure everyone is aware of where it is in case it’s ever needed. Gym owner, Sean Salinger, added: “Darren’s story really hit home. Cardiac arrests can affect anyone, however healthy. We’re proud to provide a potentially life-saving defibrillator to benefit the whole community. It’s available for use 24/7 all year round and has been provided thanks to our members’ generosity in fund-raising, plus donations and support from local business. It has been a truly humbling experience. One of our members is a paramedic and he’s also providing life-saving CPR lessons and in defibrillator use to help the community.”

With research* presented to the British Cardiovascular Society Conference in Manchester last week highlighting the need for improved defibrillator education and awareness in order for them to be used more frequently, Darren’s awareness campaign could not be more timely. He added: “If it can help save a life, then that would be amazing.”

In the event of a cardiac arrest and someone calling 999 they may be guided to the nearest defibrillator before an ambulance arrives. The emergency services will advise the caller on accessing the device and the automated system will instruct the user on how to operate the defibrillator to provide life-saving treatment.