NAPIT has recently undertaken a new project in support of the Tom Henson Charity.
Tom Henson tragically passed away on 31 July 2018, after suffering a heart attack caused by congenital heart disease. He was aged just 23.
Following Tom’s death his younger brother, Joe, has launched a defibrillator map via Google and is currently in the process of creating an app to make a map of local defibrillators accessible to all. The app will be available to download on all mobile devices.
Joe said, “A defibrillator was used three times on my brother at Gosforth Fields – the people on the scene didn’t realise the defibrillator was there. This lack of knowledge then spanned into a full-blown realisation that so many people don’t know where their nearest defibrillator is. That sort of information could be the difference between life and death.”
NAPIT’s regional inspection manager, Dave Scully, has donated his time to install the defibrillators for free and he also highlighted the cause to NAPIT who offered to cover the cost of all the materials needed. Dave first met Tom when he was nine years old and played for Carr Vale Colts under nines football team, alongside Dave’s nephew. Tom was also football trained by Dave and his brother, Mark.
NAPIT group chief executive, Mike Andrews said, “As soon as NAPIT heard the tragic story of Tom’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, we were instantly committed to helping in every way we could. We continually strive to utilise our professional skills to help charities and organisations who need it.”
So far, Dave has successfully installed three new defibrillators in Whitwell, Bolsover and Barlborough Country Park, with more installations to come.
To find out more about the defib map or to find a defibrillator near you, visit defibmap.co.uk. For more information about the Tom Henson Charity and how you can show your support, visit their Facebook page @TomHensonDefibMap.