Ireland Women’s National Team Captain Katie McCabe today presented an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to her local club Kilnamanagh AFC and the Kilnamanagh Family Rescource Centre on behalf of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme.The state-of-the-art LIFEPAK CR2 (cellular version) defibrillator has been presented to the club and the local community centre by the FAI and Mrs. Brown’s Boys, and supplied via Heartsafety Solutions, to replace a unit which was recently destroyed in an act of vandalism.The presentation was made possible by the recent FAI AED initiative for Grassroots football, funded by Government, to provide subsidised defibrillators for Grassroots clubs in phase three of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme.Ireland WNT Captain Katie McCabe commented: “This is a great gesture on the part of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme and one that will make a real impact for the community in Kilnamanagh. The football club and the Family Resource Centre facilities are so important to the area and I am delighted to be part of this AED presentation today.”FAI Medical Director Dr Alan Byrne added: “When we heard of the devastating news that the AED unit at the Kilnamanagh Family Resource Centre had been destroyed by vandals, our FAI staff immediately suggested we look to replace the unit as part of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme and we are delighted to be able to facilitate this replacement today.”Kilnamanagh AFC representative Tony Halpin said: “I want to thank everyone involved with the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme for this wonderful donation. The facilities in Kilnamanagh are so integral to the community and we were all shocked when the Defib was vandalised. For the FAI and Mrs. Brown’s Boys to replace the AED unit so quickly means so much, not just to our football club but for everyone in our community.”
GIVING BACK 💚
WNT Captain Katie McCabe presented an Defibrillator to her local club Kilnamanagh AFC and the Kilnamanagh Family Rescource Centre on behalf of the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme.#COYGIG
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) November 27, 2023
The FAI driven AED Grassroots scheme sees over 300 clubs offered a state-of-the-art LIFEPAK CR2 (cellular version) defibrillator along with an eight-year mobile phone data plan and training for 10 people in Basic Life Support and use of an Automatic External Defibrillator.This package is valued at €3,600 but benefits from an FAI discount which brings the total cost down to €2,500. Thanks to Government funding of almost €400,000, negotiated by the FAI on behalf of the Grassroots game, the package has been made available to 316 clubs at a reduced cost of €1,250. This amounts to a 50 per cent discount on the package cost price, with the balance funded by the FAI and Government and distributed via the Mrs. Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme founded in 2018.The LIFEPAK CR2 defibrillator is unique in that it is connected to the internet via the mobile phone network and will alert club members if the unit fails a self-test or the battery is running low. This greatly reduces the risk of it not being ready when needed in a rescue.With over 5,000 Sudden Cardiac Deaths in Ireland every year, Mrs. Brown’s Boys creator Brendan O’Carroll and his wife Jenny and the FAI were delighted to expand their Heart Care programme, launched in 2018, into Grassroots football with the recent AED offer. The Heart Care Programme has already referred 85 young footballers for cardiology assessment and treatment, 50 of these referrals were based on ECG results, 30 on physical examination and/or symptoms and five on family history.Heartsafety Solutions Managing Director David Greville said: “We’re delighted to now partner with the FAI for this local AED initiative in Kilnamanagh that will undoubtedly save lives. The chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest is reduced by 10% for every minute delayed in treatment from a defibrillator and CPR from a rescuer, so having one in the vicinity where cardiac arrests may occur is vital.”Clubs can still register for the Mrs Brown’s Boys FAI Heart Care programme defibrillator initiative at www.fai.ie/defibs
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