Ballindine Irishtown Defibrillation Group

In 2008 the people of Ballindine and Irishtown purchased 15 Defibrillators for the community. Those units now need to be replaced.

Our goal is to raise €15,000 through donations to our Go Fund Me page Ballindine Irishtown Defibrillator Group.

Here’s a scary fact: anyone can have a cardiac arrest, at any time. Often there are no obvious risk factors. The shocking scene that unfolded during the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland was a stark reminder of that. An estimated 6,000 people a year have one in Ireland.

And here’s another scary fact: for every minute it takes to find a defibrillator and shock a person in cardiac arrest, their chances of survival reduce by 10%. With CPR and defibrillation, chances of survival can increase ten-fold.

Communities often ask how much do defibrillators cost to see if they can afford one to help in a medical emergency. The answer is thousands, which means many people turn to crowdfunding to cover the cost.

Remember that if a sudden cardiac arrest happens – and it can happen to anyone – if CPR is performed and a defibrillator provided within 3-5 minutes survival chances can increase from 6% to 74%.

A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating and is no longer pumping blood around their body. It is different from a heart attack when the supply of blood to part of the heart stops. You’ve probably seen hospital dramas when someone ‘codes’ and is brought back to life by a doctor shocking them while shouting ‘clear’. This is a process that can be recreated out of hospital with by laypeople with defibrillator – and it can save lives.

Defibrillators are well designed and will tell you what to do when using them. That means they only instruct people to deliver an electric shock if it is needed. Defibrillators can save lives – which is why it’s common for shops, workplaces, councils, community groups, schools and villages to fundraise for a defibrillator for the community.

We are looking for as much help as possible in spreading the word through social media and are asking you to share and repost…