Everyday Heroes

Mom Steps Up to Get Defibrillators Installed in Town After Son’s Death

A British mother has channeled her grief into action. After losing her son to cardiac arrest, Naomi Rees-Issit is getting 20 defibrillators installed across his hometown of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. When 18-year-old Jamie Rees collapsed on New Years Day, the ambulance took nearly 20 minutes to arrive, and the closest defibrillator was locked away in a school. According to research from the American Heart Association, the chance of survival from cardiac arrest doubles when a bystander is able to step in to apply an AED while awaiting emergency services. Naomi’s program, which began as a call for funding to set up a defibrillator outside the school, has turned into an official charity called the OurJay Foundation. “We started Jamie’s JustGiving campaign on January 26, and by the 27th, we’d raised £3,000. Jamie was … really loved by members of his college,” she told SWNS. They have now raised the equivalent of nearly $14,000. With these donations, the 20 defibrillators will be installed by January 5, 2023 — the one-year anniversary of Jamie’s passing. The late teen has already saved five lives through organ donation, and these defibrillators can help save even more.

Read Naomi’s Story