Defibrillator for kids football team

Callum aged 15 from Widnes was playing in a football match for his local team St Mike’s in October 2020 and during a tackle he sustained a broken leg, this is not anything you wouldn’t expect during a match but what followed came as a complete shock to Callum and his family.

The following day Callum passed out and had no recollection of what had happened so after a phone call to NHS 111 the operator advised they were deploying an ambulance, so his parents made the decision to take him to hospital themselves. On arrival Callum had several tests carried out and was admitted, after 3 days of tests and monitoring he was discharged and referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. In February 2021 following further tests and a review with specialist cardiologist team he was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Myopathy which a form of heart disease. This has resulted in him having to give up playing football which has been his passion since he was 5 years old.

His teammates at St Mike’s have been an incredible support to him, the whole team have given up a day in their summer holidays to undertake 1st Aid training so that should anything ever happen whilst they are with him, they can carry out potential life saving treatment whilst awaiting the emergency services and recent events during the Euro’s made it all more real that the same thing could happen to him. The lads are also trying to raise money to purchase a Defibrillator that they can take along to all future matches in the hope that if they have this life saving piece of equipment that Callum’s specialist will allow him to return to playing with them again each week.

If anyone would like to help the team to raise some funds all donations are greatly appreciated.