After his life was saved by a paramedic and a member of the public, ex-East Anglian Daily Times editor Terry Hunt is taking on a 60-mile trek to buy more defibrillators for Suffolk.
Back in May, Mr Hunt had just an 8% chance of survival when he suffered a cardiac arrest in Carr Street in Ipswich but, now recovered, he aims to raise £3,000 with his sister Karen Chamberlain as the duo walk the coast of Suffolk from Lowestoft to Felixstowe.
There are a relatively small number of AEDs – automated external defibrillators – in the whole county, and Mr Hunt is thankful he was close enough to one, as well as an off-duty paramedic, when he suffered his heart attack.
Mr Hunt said: “I was saved by a combination of a paramedic using a defibrillator and Lisa Perry, a member of the public, who gave me CPR.
“It highlighted to me the importance of defibrillators and since then I’ve been trying to raise awareness about these life-saving machines.”
Although defibrillators cost around £1,500 to install in public spaces they have no resale value.
When one was stolen from St Peter’s Street in July, Mr Hunt knew it could put someone’s life in danger, and was so angered by it that he donated the money to replace it himself.
“Ipswich only has ten defibrillators so it needs a lot more,” added Mr Hunt.
“During my rehabilitation I have been doing a lot of walking, and my sister Karen came up with the idea for the Suffolk coastal walk.
“It will be a good opportunity to see all of the beautiful coast but I am dreading the blisters - hopefully my new walking boots will keep my feet in good shape.”
The British Heart Foundation is working with the NHS and Microsoft to produce a national register of all the publicly accessible AEDs. AEDs are simple to operate and give you verbal instructions, meaning that almost anyone can deliver a potentially life-saving medical procedure.
Mr Hunt added: “Karen and I have been overwhelmed by the generous support we’ve had already and anyone who helps our fundraising can be sure they are supporting a really great cause.”
Terry and Karen are walking the coast from November 3 to November 6, starting in Lowestoft.
You can help the pair reach their target of £3,000 by donating to their JustGiving page online by clicking here.
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