This week we have Bodmin College work experience student Rosie Morris with us. She has been working on her own collection of articles, with the first being this insightful look at the importance of defibrillators within our small, rural communities here in Cornwall.
By Rosie Morris
On the 28th of November, Bodmin local Mike Trebilcock resuscitated 14-year-old Oscar after a bike ride on Bodmin Moor.
At the end of the bike ride, Oscar collapsed and stopped breathing in the car park. Mike Trebilcock performed CPR and used a defibrillator to get his heart back into rhythm after he had suffered a cardiac arrest due to a previously undiagnosed problem with his heart. When Mike handed Oscar over to the paramedics, he was breathing but it was not clear if he would make it.
When Oscar arrived at Derriford Hospital, he had not regained consciousness. Oscar was in a critical condition and was moved to Bristol's Children's Hospital, where he was put in an induced coma and put onto life support. He remained in a coma for a few days, until the team of amazing doctors decided it was time to slowly bring Oscar out of his coma. Oscar has come back fighting fit and is recovering. He arrived home from Bristol Hospital, three days after undergoing open-heart surgery.
Mike Trebilcock has previously raised money for defibrillators, delivered training sessions, and with Tango3, provides systems to monitor defibrillators. However, until that night he had never had to use one.
Having a defibrillator available saved Oscar's life, and Mike would like everyone to know how crucial it is to know how to perform CPR in case of an emergency. Getting immediate CPR from a bystander can double or triple the person’s survival chances. Every minute counts and 'ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they have the bravery to step-up and help a stranger in need'.
Oscar and his family want to ensure that everywhere that they go biking, there will be a defibrillator available. Oscar’s Defibrillator Fund has had five defibrillators donated and have a just giving page raising money to get more defibrillators installed in Cornwall. Every donation will help. If you would like to support the cause, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maples-hair-oscars-defibs
One little machine, in the middle of nowhere, in a muddy car park on the moors, managed to save Oscar's life. Cornwall has so many rural areas, so it is vital that these machines are around. Do you know where the nearest defibrillator is? Do you know how to use it? Seconds really count. You only get one chance.
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