King’s School fundraisers put their hands on their hearts to complete a mother’s campaign to ensure all Macclesfield schools have lifesaving defibrillators.
King’s parent Sue Warham, from Adlington, took up the campaign with the Cheshire-based charity ‘Hand on Heart’ after her son Matthew was saved by his father and lifeguards using CPR and a defibrillator following his sudden cardiac arrest while swimming in the Lac de Passy near Chamonix in the summer of 2017.
Matthew, then aged 15 and in King’s Year 10, would have lost his life but for the fact that the French team had the vital lifesaving equipment on site and was able to apply effective treatment immediately.
When Sue looked into the problem, she discovered that 12 young people die each week in Britain from cardiac arrest and that there were 12 schools in the Macclesfield area that did not have the vital defibrillators on site.
The King’s cheque for £6,795, along with £5000 from other local donors means that all 12 local schools will soon have their own defibrillator and that school staff and a class of 30 children in each school will have the appropriate training.
Sue Warham said: “We are immensely grateful to King’s for the way that pupils, staff and parents have supported Hand on Heart’s Macclesfield campaign by raising an amazing sum of nearly £7,000.”
King’s fundraisers really had to put their thinking caps on to reach the campaign’s final target. Fundraising began with the much-anticipated Year 7 and 8 Halloween disco. Science teacher Daniel Deakin then ran the English Half marathon; the Art Department held a hugely successful community art exhibition at Jobling Gowler. The Friends of King’s Parents Committee donated an additional £1,500 from their record-breaking Winter Ball. Pupils were inspired with activities ranging from cake sales to a popular photo booth. Pupils and staff donned their white beards and red jackets in a Santa float, and one young girl with her mum even climbed Snowdon.
After a difficult 12 months, Matthew who is now 16 has recovered and is able to manage his condition.
Lynne Adams, King’s School Charity Coordinator, said: “King’s raises some £30,000 every year for local, national and international charities and we are delighted to have been given this opportunity to help a cause which will save lives on our doorstep. Matthew is close to all our hearts and we know that after this awful episode will go from strength to strength.”
Lesley Appleton Fundraising Coordinator at Hand of Heart said: “We are extremely grateful for the support from not just Sue and her family, but also the students at King’s School for their amazing fundraising efforts. Being able to make all the schools in Macclesfield heart safe is an amazing achievement, with the support from Sue and the students we are protecting more than 3,000 lives on a daily basis.”
Pictured from left to right are Sue Warham, Holly McLellan 14, Amelia Phiipotts, 13, and Lesley Appleton.