I owe my life to a Philips AED

Hi, my name is Craig, I'm fundraising for a cause very close to my heart - literally!

While training for the 2015 Marathon Des Sables, I had a sudden cardiac arrest. No warning, no pain - just darkness.

I collapsed mid-run - heart stopped, clinically dead for around 4 minutes - It took the swift action of strangers and a Philips AED to bring me back to life.

I woke up days later in LUMC hospital, confused and scared. A nurse leaned over and asked gently, “Hello Craig… Do you know where you are?” I didn’t - my face was battered and my mind was wondering. But I was alive.

Since that moment, I’ve rebuilt everything.

From death to the desert: I became the world’s first resuscitated person to complete six desert ultramarathons, including 4 of the very race I was training for when my heart stopped.

But this year, I’m running for something bigger.

On 16th August, I’ll run 11 loops - one for each year since my cardiac arrest.

Starting from my home, passing Philips’ old HQ, and finishing at their new headquarters - around 95km later

I’m doing this to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, and to raise funds for two AEDs to be donated to communities in need here in the Netherlands.

Join me for a lap, half a lap, or however far your heart takes you.

And if you can, please donate to this life-saving cause.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD's) kills around 18 million people globally each year. But many lives - like mine - can be saved, if the right help is close by.

Let’s give more people that chance. One step, one AED, one story at a time.