Express & Star

WATCH: Life is precious - Noddy Holder becomes first star to back E&S heart campaign

Noddy Holder has become the first big name to back the Express & Star's campaign to get 25 life-saving defibrillators installed in Wolverhampton.

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The Slade frontman is urging readers to donate towards the £57,000 needed to pay for the devices as part of the #heartsafe15 campaign.

Mr Holder, who was born in Walsall, said: "I was shocked when I found out that sudden cardiac arrests cause 100,000 deaths a year in this country.

"But even more surprising is that this number can be significantly reduced if emergency treatment is given within minutes of the attack.

"These defibrillators make that instant treatment possible and can be the difference between life and death.

"The campaign, run by the Express & Star, will save lives and I give it my full backing.

"Life is precious. Let's keep it that way by donating, even just £1, and make Wolverhampton heart safe."

Using defibrillators in the first few minutes of an arrest means the chances of resuscitating someone can increase by 70 per cent. With 100,000 people dying from sudden cardiac arrest in Britain every year, the need to act is great.

We have teamed up with defibrillator fundraisers AEDdonate to launch our campaign – which is backed by West Midlands Ambulance Service and Wolverhampton council.

The defibrillators will be placed in a waterproof, secure cabinet and placed anywhere people gather. The cabinet is protected with a pin code.

This code is provided by a member of the emergency services as soon as a call to 999 is made and the location of the public-access defibrillator provided.

These defibrillators are logged on the national database. It allows passers-by to give vital resuscitation care before an ambulance arrives.

Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack.

The heart suffers an electrical malfunction, which causes it to beat irregularly. Casualties become unconscious and lose a pulse within seconds and can die within minutes unless they receive treatment. A heart attack is triggered by a loss of blood flow through a blocked artery.

Next Friday, our partners AEDdonate are encouraging businesses to take part in Wear Something Crazy Day.

l You can also give by texting 'AEDW50' to 70070 followed by how much you want to donate. Alternatively, you can make an online donation at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ wolverhampton-aed-campaign. We are also encouraging people to engage by tweeting the hashtag #heartsafe15.

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