Donation by bereaved mum to prevent more heart tragedies

Angela Hosking lost her daughter, Joanne Griffiths, to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) in 2007 when she was aged just 31.

SADS can have no prior symptoms and can affect young, fit and healthy people who collapse from a cardiac arrest without warning. The chances of surviving SADS are remote unless a defibrillator can be used on the patient.

Since Joanne’s death, campaigners have been working to ensure that more defibrillators, which are machines that can restore the normal rhythm of the heart, are dotted around Mansfield. And last summer, Angela’s husband, David Hosking, completed a sponsored cycle-ride from London to Paris to raise funds for the charity, SADS UK.

Now Angela and David have presented a defibrillator to Mansfield Lawn Tennis Club on Pheasant Hill, where a training session on how to use it is to be conducted by SADS UK next Tuesday night (January 31 at 6 pm).

The charity’s founder, Anne Jolly, said: “We are so grateful to Angela and David for their fundraising and support. Early use of a defibrillator increases the chance of survival to more than 50%. This is why we are passionate about putting this lifesaving equipment into local communities.”