A football player who escaped a cardiac attack during a game has advised fans to become certified in CPR.
Tom Lockyer, the 29-year-old captain of Luton Town, passed out during a Premier League game in December versus Bournemouth.
As part of World Heart Day on September 29, he now wants fans of all 72 English Football League (EFL) clubs to learn CPR in 15 minutes.
His appeal coincided with the East of England Ambulance Service training players and staff at Peterborough United in CPR.
Since 2017, Lockyer has represented Wales at the national level. He stated that he has partnered with the British Heart Foundation charity to teach CPR to as many people as possible because “it really does save lives”.
CPR is an urgent procedure that can save lives performed when the heart stops beating.
Less than 10% of the 3,000 persons who experience cardiac arrest each year in the UK alone will survive, according to Lockyer. That is solely due to the fact that not enough people are trained in CPR.
“Consider that you are powerless over someone you love. It only takes fifteen minutes to go online and perhaps save someone’s life.”
As part of the Resuscitation Council UK’s annual Restart a Heart Day program, which also aims to educate more people about CPR, Peterborough United participated in CPR training.
The assistant manager of Peterborough United, Kieran Scarff, stated that the club was motivated to get involved by what had occurred to the Luton captain.
He remarked, “You see what actually happened to Fabrice, Tom, and Eriksen a few years ago? It really brings it home; these are fit and healthy young people.
“You want it to be in a position where, touch wood, it doesn’t happen, but if it does, you can provide some sort of help.”
(BBC)
