Donations towards a defibrillator in memory of Paul Walton.

Hi, my name is Anna Walton, Paul Walton's eldest of four children. Myself and my two cousins (Emma & Jodie Buckland) are running the Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday 13th October 2024, with the hope to raise money towards purchasing a defibrillator to donate to the community.

We lost my dad very suddenly at Christmas in 2019, after he suffered a cardiac arrest at only 48 years old. He left behind his wife and four children, as well as many family and friends who valued him highly. With this December marking the 5-year anniversary of the loss of my dad, we wanted to do something as a tribute to him and the help he provided so many others with.

As a paramedic himself, he was always passionate about the care of others and worked highly within the NHS, helping push towards a better healthcare service. The sudden loss of my dad was a great shock to us all, and we still struggle to comprehend the trauma we all experienced during that time. 5 years on, we still miss him terribly, but we hope that our intentions for our half marathon completion will represent Paul in a great light, continuing to make a difference in the world on his behalf.

During the run-up to Paul's funeral, we managed to raise enough money to purchase nine defibrillators and successfully donate them to different organisations/companies within the community. One of our defibrillators has already saved the life of one young male, and we hope that our donations continue to save the lives of many others.

Our goal is to raise £1,500 in order to be able to purchase 1 defibrillator. If we do not manage to meet this goal, then all proceedings will be donated to Cardiac Risk in the Young, a charity that plays a huge part in preventing young cardiac deaths through medical screening and testing. Since the death of Paul, all of his four children have had to go through regular cardiac testing, highlighting the importance of this charity, and being able to prevent families from having to experience the unfortunate loss we did.

Thank you for your support, however big or small.

For you, Dad/Paul x