Local MP for Basingstoke, Maria Miller met with The Oliver King Foundation in Westminster to to discuss their aims to increase the provision of defibrillators in all UK schools .
The foundation was set up in January 2012 following the sudden and tragic death of young Oliver from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, a hidden heart condition which kills 12 young people every week.
Every single year in the UK 30,000 people suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. Sadly, less than 1 in 10 people survive. Early access to a defibrillator is vital. For every minute that passes, chances of survival drop by 10%.
Signing up to become a Defibrillator Champion for Basingstoke Maria said: “I am proud to become a lifesaving Defibrillator Champion for Basingstoke. The Oliver King Foundation have installed a defibrillator at Brighton Hill School and I will be working with our local schools to ensure that we have more lifesaving defibrillators in Basingstoke, protecting our students, teachers and constituents. It is vital that we take action to prevent any loss of life where one can be saved.”
Mark King, father of 12-year-old Oliver King who died from a sudden cardiac arrest said: “Five years ago when my son Oliver passed away from this hidden heart condition, we didn’t know that his legacy would reach this far. We are determined to save as many young lives as possible, so that no other family has to suffer a similar loss.”