Glenn Hoddle, considered to be one of the best football players of his generation, has donated seven life saving defibrillators to local football clubs around the UK following his cardiac arrest in 2018
Former England football manager with two FA Cup and UEFA cups wins under his belt, has gifted life saving equipment to local football clubs across the county. To mark this generous donation, Glenn delighted members of one local club in Kent by paying them a special visit during their CPR training.
In October 2018, Glenn collapsed suddenly whilst in the BT sports studio as he suffered a cardiac arrest. Fortunately, Sound Engineer Simon Daniels raced to Glenn’s side and performed CPR on him, keeping him alive until the paramedics arrived.
This shocking event inspired Glenn to generously donate defibrillators to seven football clubs around the country. Glenn visited one of the clubs who had received a defibrillator whilst they took part in CPR training from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Glenn Hoddle said: “It’s been an honour being able to fund these defibrillators and CPR kits. This week I had the pleasure of meeting some of the players, coaches and parents from a Kent football club during their BHF CPR training who may one day benefit from the defibrillator.
My experience of having a cardiac arrest has changed my life. Had it not been for Simon who performed CPR on me, I wouldn’t be here and would have missed out on so many incredible things. Although I hope they will never be used, I’ve funded these defibrillators and CPR kits to support the BHF’s CPR training in the hope that more lives can be saved, just as mine was.”
Cardiac arrests are when the heart stops pumping blood around the body which causes the person to lose consciousness. Without defibrillation and CPR, chances of survival decrease by around ten percent per minute.
Defibrillators are a portable device that can be used by anyone to help restart the heart when someone has a cardiac arrest. Defibrillators are really easy to use, they talk to you so that you don’t need training to use one and will only deliver a shock if one is needed.
Estelle Stephenson, Survival Programme Lead at the BHF said: “A cardiac arrest is the ultimate medical emergency and only one in ten people in the UK who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive. CPR is a lifesaving skill that takes only 30 minutes to learn.
Glenn’s story is a testament to how important this skill is. When he had a cardiac arrest, a quick-thinking crew member at BT Sport who knew CPR stepped in and used a defibrillator to save his life. Here at the BHF we know how vital it is to create a nation of life savers who know how and when to use CPR, and who have access to a defibrillator. Glenn’s donation of defibrillators to football clubs around the country is an invaluable contribution which could help save more lives in the future.”
