A GoFundMe campaign aims to raise funds for public defibrillators in Wareham after a 13-year-old boy tragically died from cardiac arrest.
Sadly, Shaun passed away in April 2024. He suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Wareham, and his family was there. Alison says they lost their amazing son, who was only thirteen years old.
Alison explains that the cardiac arrest happened fast, caused by an asthma attack. This was actually Shaun’s first asthma symptom; multiple viruses triggered it, showing no other signs.
Alison remembers a sudden noise before 7 AM. She and her husband ran to Shaun, who opened his eyes and responded. They asked if he felt okay, and he said “yeah,” then his heart stopped.
Simon, Alison’s husband, is trained in emergencies. He immediately started performing CPR on Shaun. Alison knew they needed a defibrillator quickly, but the closest one was at the golf club, which stays shut at night.
Alison thinks about “what ifs” often. What if Simon could restart Shaun’s heart? Maybe he would have survived until the ambulance arrived, as quick defibrillation changes everything, she believes.
Alison now knows that having this equipment nearby matters a lot. They want to buy defibrillators for Wareham in Shaun’s memory, hoping to help others in similar emergencies.
To this cause, they started a GoFundMe page and are having talks with the council, who are considering adding more defibrillators. The GoFundMe has already raised over £2500 toward their £6,000 goal.