Lisa Tavendale's Defibrillator Fundraising

Lisa Tavendale’s Defibrillator Fundraising for Angus

31 Oct 2022

Every week, 12 people under the age of 35 die from sudden cardiac arrest. Every day, there are 200 cardiac arrest incidents in the UK; those that do not occur in a hospital are 90-95% likely to result in death because of a lack of immediate treatment.

That’s why London Hearts is dedicated to making sure that more people have access to their nearest defibrillator.

In this heartwarming story, you can find out about Lisa Tavendale’s fundraising efforts in memory of her brother, Craig, who suffered from a familial heart condition that her son Angus has. So, she decided to start raising funds for defibrillators in Angus’ schools.

If you have a defibrillator fundraising idea yourself, make sure to get in touch with London Hearts to get started.

Why London Hearts defibrillators are important

Quick defibrillation is required to increase the chance of survival during cardiac arrest. Considering that most genetic heart conditions that cause sudden death are undiagnosed, we strongly believe it is essential that all schools are fitted with a defibrillator.

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone. A person who has had a cardiac arrest loses 10% of their chance of survival with every minute that passes without a defibrillator. That’s why it is essential that we improve access to defibrillators across the UK.

Why Lisa Tavendale is fundraising for a defibrillator

Lisa Tavendale is now raising money to cover the cost of installing defibrillators in memory of her brother, Craig Valentine, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly after having a cardiac arrest at home in April. This was due to a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a familial heart condition that Lisa herself, her mother, and potentially Lisa’s son (aged 4) suffer from as well.

Lisa said: “Craig was an amazing person with the kindest heart and I know he would be so proud of the work we are doing to help ensure that lives are saved.

“The effect that this situation has had on myself and my family is heartbreaking, and we are determined to ensure that this tragedy is one of the last of its kind, so in memory of Craig we aim to raise enough money to ensure that there are defibrillators in all of Angus’ schools.”

Defibrillator funding success

The latest London Hearts defibrillator that Lisa successfully funded has been installed at Borrowfield Primary School – pictured below.

We are always honoured to support and help supply lifesaving devices to such inspiring causes as Lisa’s.

As a leading defibrillator charity in the UK, we want to ensure that nobody is further than 100m from a fully working and publicly accessible defibrillator, across the whole of the UK.

Together, we can increase the chances of people being able to easily access their nearest defibrillator.

You can donate to Lisa’s Just Giving page here, and if you are inspired by Lisa’s fundraising story, why not ensure that your premises have access to the nearest defibrillator? You can apply for a defib and help us save lives.