Avril's legacy of life-saving medical equipment

Since losing Avril, a mother of two, in April 2013 her family have held fundraisers and events to purchase and install life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators, into Borders communities. Their latest purchase, an AutoPulse machine, which provides high-quality CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, was handed over to Dr Paul Neary, consultant cardiologist at Borders General Hospital.

After their devastating loss Avril’s partner Ross and her parents and sister opened a charity in her name in the hopes of benefiting the community and preventing another family enduring the pain they have experienced every day since. The charity was established in September 2014 and was named ‘Avril’s Trust’.

Since this time the family have been able to install numerous defibrillators into the local community due to the fund raising events and the amazing generosity of the public. The trust also provides one-day emergency first aid courses led by Rod McIntosh, resuscitation officer at NHS Borders. to educate people in the importance of good first responses in devastating circumstances – including defibrillator training, CPR and much more.

Explaining the benefits of the AutoPulse, Rod said: “It provides high-quality automated CPR to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Easy to use and battery operated, the AutoPulse squeezes the patient’s entire chest to improve blood flow to the heart and brain”

Expressing his gratitude, Dr Paul Neary, Consultant Cardiologist for NHS Borders said: “The AutoPulse is a fantastic piece of equipment which provides high quality chest compressions to patients in prolonged cardiac arrest. This increases the chances of patients surviving and can reduce long term complications of cardiac arrest.”

“We are very grateful to Avril’s Trust and to the local community for raising the funds for this equipment. This is one of the many community initiatives in the Borders that is helping to save lives by promoting the importance of emergency treatment in cardiac arrest.”