Save a Life: From being saved, to saving lives – community defibrillator installed

It has been a whirlwind success, to say the least. In December 2024, Gerry and Jenny Hannam were strolling across Waterloo Bridge in London, and with no warning at all, Gerry just dropped.

Out of the blue he suffered a cardiac arrest. Like divine intervention, a nurse was nearby and instantly administered CPR. At the same time, someone from the National Theatre realised what had happened, grabbed a defibrillator and the efforts of both strangers dragged Gerry back from an almost certain death.

Despite contacting the London Ambulance Service and the National Theatre Gerry and Jenny were never able to personally thank those individuals, but both yearned to give their thanks somehow. On returning to their home in Sitio de Calahonda in Mijas, Gerry tried to find where the defibrillators were in the urbanisation. A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any time of life, but without defibrillators, how would they even stand a chance of survival from a cardiac arrest without there being any nearby? There was their mission!

Ready to Save a Life in the heart of the community

On Friday, October 3, at Pal’s Bar in the El Zoco complex next to the A-7, the first defibrillator was installed. The fruit of several months of fundraising and the enormous generosity of the local community, the first AED (defibrillator) was installed on the wall outside the bar. The machine, safe to use as it detects a heartbeat and gives clear, spoken instructions on how to use it, will only release a charge of 15,000 volts and will only do so when it is safe and correct to do so. But it is there, just in case. It can sometimes take 20 minutes or more for an ambulance to arrive in Calahonda. In an emergency, that can be far too long.

The AED itself has a switch in the top right-hand corner which instantly changes the recorded spoken instructions to English. If you were to touch the victim of a suspected cardiac arrest while the AED was in use, it would detect your heartbeat and deem the victim to be normal, and therefore not discharge a shock. That is how sensitive it is and how advanced the tech is. This is why it is safe for anyone to use.

Save a Life campaign about to install second debibrillator

The Save a Life campaign (S.A.L.) has almost raised enough to pay for a third of the €2,000 devices. In the coming week, the second will be installed, and then another. But it goes beyond that. The Family are now hearing back from the neighbouring urbanisations of Elviria, Riveria, Mijas Pueblo and La Cala de Mijas, and at this stage, Age Concern Benalmadena, Mijas & Fuengirola are giving them a lot of support.

The family are now studying the neighbouring urbanisation of Elviria. Mijas Pueblo and La Cala de Mijas are beginning to take note also and are looking at saving lives by installing defibrillators too. Even as far as Benalmadena and Torremolinos, AED installations are on everyone’s lips.

Community comes together for AEDs

Other than generosity, this is not just about giving. This is about us as a community. It could be us or our loved ones at any time. Cardiac arrests do not give warnings. Where is your nearest available AED? Also on the books for S.A.L. is an ongoing campaign, including an online one to map where the AEDs are located. Waiting for the local council or neighbourhood association to discuss budget allocation could be too late. The community are doing it for themselves. Defibrillators are needed now. And they are needed nearby.

On November 28, there will be a grand fundraiser, even bigger than their recent event at Pal’s Bar. The evening at La Sierra Restaurant in Cerrado del Águila Golf & Resort, Mijas, will feature Ricky Lavazza and Ben James singing and will be the social event of the autumn. As well as buying new defibrillators, they are looking at courses in CPR and AED use to take the fear out of performing these without fear of doing it wrong so we can all save a life without fear. Today we raise a glass to the exemplary work of Gerry, Jenny and their family, without whom those on the verge of death would not receive the life-saving technology they need.

RSVP Gerry and Jenny on 664 150 582 to get your tickets for the Save a Life Charity Evening.