Church on Marlowes is all heart

It all started when Ann Upton, a member of Carey Baptist Church in Hemel Hempstead, donated £500 towards the cost of a Defibrillator heart machine. Ann, whose son has heart problems, saw that there was a need for more of the machines locally.

Carey Baptist Church then approached local charity, Team Macy, for advice. Helen Cruickshanks at Team Macy was quick to help out. Herts County Councillor, Adrian England, was approached to match the £500 from his Locality Budget, which he promptly did.

Once supply issues for the machine had been sorted, as well as the finance, Team Macy sourced the machine. The machine will be available for all the community and will be registered on the AED website, so people in need of the machine can be easily directed to it.

The machine will also be close by for the Heather Club, which provides a home from home two days a week, for people with dementia, on Carey’s premises. Also convenient for the various dance groups which meet most evenings at Carey, as well as the Table Tennis club. Members of other, less physically active groups who meet on Carey’s premises, like Gentle Yoga and Babies & Toddlers may also find the machine a God-send.

Ann commented: 'My brother died at the age of 59, when he popped out for a lottery ticket and suffered a heart attack on a street in Hemel, just 100 yards from home. Having a Defibrillator nearby may have saved his life, so this is what has motivated me to get another life-saving machine like this onto the streets of our town. I know the people of Hemel will be grateful for this gift of a Defibrillator. It has been made possible by my church and other generous donors, and is in memory of my brother and mother.'

Helen Cruickshanks said: ‘Team Macy is a local charity set up in memory of our daughter Macy who sadly passed away from a heart condition. We have been raising awareness of congenital heart defects (problems with the heart from birth) which kills more UK babies and children than all childhood cancers put together. Team Macy continues to support the local community by supplying local schools and clubs with potential life-saving Defibs and emergency first aid packs. And we have been funding genetic research into cardiac conditions.’

Councillor Adrian England commented: ‘I’m really happy to support Ann Upton’s initiative and Team Macy, to establish this life-saving installation, particularly as the AED defibrillator machine will be accessible for all the community.’