The mother of a 15-year-old Oakdale schoolboy who died suddenly has called for a new law to make heart defibrillators available in every public place in Wales.
June Thomas, whose son Jack died two years ago, gave evidence to the National Assembly’s Petitions Committee calling for the legislation.
At the committee hearing on April 29, she told AMs how she had been fundraising to get a defibrillator into every school in the Gwent and Rhymney Valley area.
She said: “Since Jack’s death on February 12 2012, I set up Jack’s Appeal and I’ve been fundraising to get defibrillators into Gwent and Rhymney Valley schools
“The first one went into Oakdale Comprehensive School in October last year and we are due to deliver another four to schools in the area.
“As a mum, losing a child, it is the importance of having this equipment to save a life.
“A £1,000 is nothing – it should be for the public to gain access to these machines easily.”
Mrs Thomas appeared before AMs alongside fellow campaigner Phil Hill, an advanced nurse practitioner, and Richard Lee of the Welsh Ambulance Service.
Mr Hill said Wales could lead the way with such a new law.
He said: “I feel passionately that automated external defibrillator should be treated the same, if not with greater importance, than first aid kits, fire fighting equipment and even river rescue equipment.”
She said that a heart screening programme is due to start at Oakdale Comprehensive on June 6 – the date of Jack’s 18th birthday,
The Petitions Committee could now decide to take further evidence from Health Minister Mark Drakeford or hold its own inquiry into the matter.
Some three years ago Councillor Ron Davies, Plaid Cymru Cabinet member in the last Caerphilly Council, made serious efforts to get such a scheme up and running throughout Caerphilly Borough, he was, however, OBSTRUCTED at every turn in the Council by officers who trashed and rubbished his endevours..
Caerphilly council buildings throughout the borough, and, strategic other local buildings would have had such a facility with members of staff trained in the use of such life saving equipment to be called upon as an early response while paramedics and ambulances were awaited when someone suffers a heart attack., I still have copies of the emails sent by Caerphilly Council Officers to Councillor Ron Davies on this matter, he provided them to me as the person who suggested the idea to him in the first place and which he agreed to support on my behalf, those emails are rubbishing his efforts on behalf of citizens of the borough on this suggestion.
Let`s hope those officers now hang their heads in shame and support such a move now being repeated by June Thomas. Good Luck June.