A WOMAN saved her husband’s life when he went into cardiac arrest after playing in a cricket match.

Andrea Goldthorp used a defibrillator to re-start her husband’s heart at Pool-in-Wharfedale Sports and Social Club on Saturday. She was helped my other club members, including two off-duty police officers, who performed CPR.

The defibrillator was installed at the club in 2017 after a fundraising effort by people including Otley and Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes, whose own life had been saved thanks to passers-by who used a defibrillator to help him.

Mr Goldthorp, 60, is the ninth person to have been saved thanks to the Global CPAD Campaign, which was launched by Brian Firth in 2013 to raise funds for Community Public Access Defibrillators.

This week Mrs Goldthorp said: “The Goldthorp family feel that John is the luckiest man alive.

“To have a defibrillator at Pool Social Club when John collapsed at the end of of Saturday's cricket game was invaluable.

“We are eternally indebted to the Global CPAD Campaign and all those involved in keeping the defibrillators in excellent working order.”

The Campaign now has 157 CPADs in total, mainly installed around the Leeds to Skipton area, and extending into Northumberland, Wales and Scotland.

Mr Firth said he was delighted that another life had been saved.

He said: “Incredibly, it was his wife Andrea that applied the defibrillator pads and performed the necessary procedure that resulted in John's heart being re-started. I understand that she was assisted by other club members who performed CPR, including two off duty police officers. John was then safely transferred by ambulance to the hospital where he has made a remarkable recovery.

“I know from my days as a volunteer Community First Responder with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service that whilst very rewarding, it can also be quite distressing dealing with a cardiac arrest, and that is when treating a stranger. I cannot imagine how it must feel treating your own partner when he is in cardiac arrest.”

Otley and Yeadon councillor Ryk Downes, who has raised money for four local defibrillators, including the one at Pool said: “It is great that having being brought back to life with a defibrillator I have been able to be a part of saving someone else’s life by organising another. I am the guardian for this one and one at Arthington Village Hall and only last month changed the pads as they were going out of date”

Mr Firth said: “I started the Global CPAD Campaign in 2013 following the death of a customer at Morrisons Supermarket in Guiseley. At that time there were no CPADs within 7 miles of Guiseley.

“The prime objective of the campaign was to potentially save a life in the future by having a CPAD available to members of the public 24/7. I am pleased to say that we now have 42 CPADs installed throughout Aireborough with dozens of others installed around the Leeds and Wharfedale area, even extending up to Northumberland. 24 CPADs have now been installed in the Otley area alone in conjunction with our satellite Campaign, Otley Defibrillators.

“However, it is not the number of CPADs installed that is amazing, it is the fact that 9 lives have now been saved directly from the use of a campaign defibrillator, including one of those belonging to Otley Defibrillators.

“To give a further example of the need for CPADs, I was on the phone yesterday arranging for the delivery of a new CPAD to the White Swan in Yeadon, being fully funded by themselves. During the conversation members of the staff had to rush outside to attend to a patient suffering a potential heart attack. They dashed off to retrieve one of our nearby defibrillators and stayed with the patient until the ambulance arrived.

“Therefore I have no hesitation, when asked if the campaign has been successful, in saying that the campaign has exceeded all expectations. Even one life being saved would have been great, but 9 lives saved is tremendous.

"A Justgiving page has been set up on the campaign page to assist in the funding of consumables which is an going cost to the campaign. The pads have to be replaced every 2 years, or following use, at a cost of £45 per set. The batteries have to be replaced every 4 years at a cost of £245."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PublicAccessDefibrillators

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/brian-firth-677?utm_term=7MkNR6ZV4&fbclid=IwAR0IRygzDV1J6nfpW7L_eNw_pyJeDkE8idio-JkVQllEOl5V2pkhFP9JqMk