A defibrillator like the one used to save the life of the Danish footballer Christian Eriksen has been installed in Hereford city centre.
The lifesaving device has gone up outside The Little Princess Trust office on the corner of Aubrey Street and Little Berrington Street after it was donated by the Tom Henson Charity to the Herefordshire community.
The defib is mounted on a wall and can be accessed by any member of the public calling 999 to request a code.
The importance of defibrillators was shown when Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during a football match between his Denmark side and Finland on June 12th.
The world watched on in horror as emergency medical treatment, including CPR with a defibrillator, was performed on the midfielder on the pitch.
Eriksen has now been discharged from hospital and is following the fortunes of his team-mates from home but the shocking incident highlighted the lifesaving benefits of having quick access to a device which provides a high-energy electric shock to the heart.
The Little Princess Trust had applied for the defibrillator before Eriksen’s cardiac arrest – and the charity says the events on the pitch show just why they made the request.
Phil Brace, Chief Executive of The Little Princess Trust, said: “These defibrillators are incredibly easy to use and the one we have had installed might one day save a life.
“Being located in the heart of Hereford, this is close to many shops and tourist attractions so we are happy to host such an important device for the Herefordshire community.”
The Tom Henson Charity raises money to put defibrillators into communities. It was started in memory of a young man called Tom Henson who passed away in 2018 after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing football.
As well as buying defibrillators, the Tom Henson charity has set up an app to let people know where defibrillators are located around the country.
