Alder Hey was our first Partner Charity and we have been supporting them since 2015. Our last grant for £9,974 funded two state of the art, high-specification defibrillators. Our total grants to the hospital are nearly £63,000. This is a long term relationship.
Adam Challoner from Alder Hey told us what the new defibrillators mean for children, staff and parents by relating the story of “Harry”.
“When a child’s heart stops beating, every second counts.
Paediatric healthcare is a field defined by the very finest of margins – where the difference between life and death is measured in seconds. According to information from St John’s Ambulance, there is a 3-5 minute window in which resuscitation is most effective. For every minute that passes after this critical window, the chance of survival plummets by 10%. This is certainly a sobering statistic, but Alder Hey Children’s Hospital has a remarkable survival rate of 92% for cardiac arrests. This serves as a testament to the outstanding work of the resuscitation teams at Alder Hey, as well as to the importance of having a ready and reliable supply of defibrillators.
The vital role that defibrillators play was demonstrated recently, when 10-month-old Harry suddenly went into cardiac arrest.
The day started like any other: baby Harry, not his real name, flashed a cheeky smile and appeared excited to face the day ahead. Soon, though, his parents noticed that something was seriously wrong. Harry was unresponsive; he had stopped breathing and the colour was quicky draining from his face. Wasting no time, his parents alerted paramedics, who whisked Harry to Alder Hey.
Harry was born with a congenital heart condition called ‘Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome’. This means that one half of his heart is significantly less developed than the other. Despite undergoing multiple heart surgeries earlier in his young life, Harry’s heart was still fragile. When Harry’s health suddenly deteriorated, then, his parents knew immediately that the issue was related to his heart condition. Sure enough, by the time Harry arrived at Alder Hey, he was in full cardiac arrest. He was quickly transferred to an expert resuscitation team, led by Sarah Barton, who fought to keep Harry alive.
Within moments, a defibrillator had been calibrated for Harry’s unique size and condition, and the first shock was delivered. It did not work
A second shock soon followed and, at last, Harry’s heart started working again. For Sarah Barton, this story is just one of many that she has accumulated that speak to the vital importance of having swift access to a defibrillator.
“Without easy access to a defibrillator, Harry would not have survived. It may sound dramatic, but that’s the reality of it. This piece of equipment is quite often the difference between life and death, both at Alder Hey and out in the community. Having the most technologically advanced defibrillators readily available and accessible at Alder Hey will be the difference between life and death for countless children”.
It is because of stories like Harry’s that Alder Hey Children’s Charity has now finalised plans to purchase a set of brand-new, high-specification defibrillators. These devices are among the most technologically sophisticated currently available. They come equipped with rapid power-on and shock delivery; this means that they can be turned on and used within 5 seconds, ensuring that doctors can consistently act within the critical 3-5 minute window. The defibrillators also include post-event analysis, accurately assessing the depth and rate of compressions. These insights are invaluable for Alder Hey’s resuscitation team and can be used for educational purposes to analyse and refine their emergency protocols, and to ensure that they are able to save even more young lives.
For most parents, though, the bells and whistles do not matter very much. All that matters to them is that a dedicated team is there for them when the unimaginable happens, equipped with the very best defibrillators available and ready to fight for every single heartbeat. They will always find this at Alder Hey.”
Although Alder Hey is a NHS hospital it would not have its level of world class facilities without the significant sums of money raised from the public, charities, businesses and others. Since 2013 the hospital’s dedicated charity has raised over £82m to fund life saving equipment and facilities. The hospital cares for over 450,000 children and young people every year. Our Foundation is delighted to support this amazing hospital.