Fabrice Muamba's plea for everyone to help save lives
Former professional footballer and cardiac arrest survivor Fabrice Muamba is encouraging everyone to learn CPR.
The Bolton star, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a 2012 FA Cup match, is driving further awareness of what he called a ‘critical issue’.
Muamba made a full recovery thanks to the quick administration of CPR and access to defibrillator.
He's speaking out after new research found that only 56% of people know how to give CPR, with even fewer (26%) knowing how to give both CPR and use a defibrillator.
The study revealed that although the overwhelming majority of people want to be able to help in a medical emergency, over half would not feel confident enough to do so.
it's believed the main reason for this is that we are too scared that we’d get it wrong or have not been formally trained.
Muamba spoke out as Virgin Media, which carried out the research, completed one of the UK’s largest ever mobile defibrillator roll out programmes, through a life-saving new partnership with the British Heart Foundation.
The company has already trained 500 front-line staff in CPR and the use of a defibrillator machine, with each first responder receiving a portable defibrillator for their company vehicle.
And since the beginning of the roll out, several Virgin Media employees have jumped into action and put their life-saving skills into practice.
Just months after completing his training, Virgin Media Field Technician Morgan Sherlock resuscitated a man who had suffered a cardiac arrest at the roadside.
Morgan, who was driving back from work, stopped when he came across the emergency situation and used his mobile defibrillator machine to administer shocks while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
He said: “Taking part in the British Heart Foundation’s training scheme through work gave me the skills, confidence and equipment needed to act quickly in a crisis. “Like many volunteers, I never expected I’d be needed in a real-life emergency, but only a few months after my training I was able to resuscitate someone who had suffered a cardiac arrest.