More than 1,300 school pupils recently received defibrillator and CPR demonstrations with St John Ambulance Cymru trainers as part of the charity’s Defibruary campaign launch.
Pupils in years 7-11 at Haverfordwest High VC School in Pembrokeshire received key information about the annual campaign, which aims to raise awareness of these vital lifesaving skills and the importance of early intervention when someone has suffered a cardiac arrest.
The first aid charity for Wales is organising a range of events during February to help raise awareness of the importance of defibrillator and CPR skills, as a person’s chances of survival are reduced by 10% for every passing minute without action following a cardiac arrest.
The campaign will also be urging people to learn where the nearest defibrillator to them is located via The Circuit and ensure any they are responsible for are registered, so that emergency services can direct people to the nearest one in an emergency.
St John Ambulance Head of Response Operations, Darren Murray said:
“It was a fantastic way to launch our annual Defibruary campaign and the pupils were keen to get hands-on and have a go at putting these skills to work in our demonstration sessions.
"As your chances of surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest are just 5% in Wales, we are determined to help improve that by sharing these lifesaving skills and helping people be more prepared to act quickly in an emergency.
“We would like to thank the school for welcoming our team and helping us to share these important messages with the students, who will hopefully be more comfortable to act if they find themselves in an emergency situation in future.”
The Defibruary campaign is run because of people like Janice. A decade ago, Janice John suffered a cardiac arrest at home. Fortunately, her husband Keith knew how to administer CPR and put these skills to work until an ambulance crew arrived with a defibrillator.
Janice and Keith had both completed first aid training as they were St John Ambulance Cymru volunteers and volunteer first responders, but they never expected these skills would be needed so close to home.
Fast forward ten years and Janice is still an active St John Ambulance Cymru volunteer and also works to help others with the charity's Welfare and Falls Rapid Response Service in the Pembrokeshire area, run in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board.
Janice, who has since purchased a defibrillator just in case something like this should happen at home again, said:
"It's so important to learn these basic first aid skills and it’s vital to administer first aid as soon as possible to give people a better chance of survival."
The event at Haverfordwest High is just one of the free first aid demonstrations in schools and community groups delivered as part of St John Ambulance Cymru’s partnership with EcoFlow, a global company, specialising in portable power products, solar technology and smart home energy solutions.
To find out more about St John Ambulance’s Defibruary campaign and learn how you can get involved, visit our Defibruary page.
Dros 1,300 o ddisgyblion yn dysgu sgiliau achub bywyd fel rhan o lansiad ymgyrch 'Defibruary' St John Ambulance Cymru
Derbyniodd mwy na 1,300 o ddisgyblion ysgol arddangosiadau diffibriliwr a CPR yn ddiweddar gyda hyfforddwyr St John Ambulance Cymru, fel rhan o lansiad ymgyrch ‘Defibruary’ yr elusen.
Derbyniodd disgyblion ym mlynyddoedd 7-11 o Ysgol Uwchradd WRh Hwlffordd yn Sir Benfro wybodaeth allweddol am yr ymgyrch flynyddol, sydd â’r nod o godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r sgiliau achub bywyd hanfodol hyn a phwysigrwydd ymyrraeth gynnar pan fydd rhywun wedi dioddef ataliad y galon.
Mae elusen cymorth cyntaf Cymru yn trefnu amrywiaeth o ddigwyddiadau yn ystod mis Chwefror i helpu i godi ymwybyddiaeth o bwysigrwydd sgiliau diffibriliwr a CPR, gan fod siawns person o oroesi yn cael ei leihau 10% am bob munud sy’n mynd heibio heb weithredu yn dilyn ataliad y galon.
Bydd yr ymgyrch hefyd yn annog pobl i ddysgu ble mae’r diffibriliwr agosaf atynt wedi’i leoli drwy The Circuit a sicrhau bod unrhyw rai y maent yn gyfrifol amdanynt wedi’u cofrestru, fel y gall y gwasanaethau brys gyfeirio pobl at yr un agosaf mewn argyfwng.
Dywedodd Darren Murray, Pennaeth Gweithrediadau Ymateb St John Ambulance:
“Roedd yn ffordd wych o lansio ein hymgyrch Defibruary flynyddol ac roedd y disgyblion yn awyddus i gael profiad ymarferol a rhoi cynnig ar roi’r sgiliau hyn ar waith yn ein sesiynau arddangos.
“Gan mai 5% yn unig yw eich siawns o oroesi ataliad y galon y tu allan i’r ysbyty yng Nghymru, rydym yn benderfynol o helpu i wella hynny drwy rannu’r sgiliau achub bywyd hyn a helpu pobl i fod yn fwy parod i weithredu’n gyflym mewn argyfwng.
“Hoffem ddiolch i’r ysgol am groesawu ein tîm a’n helpu i rannu’r negeseuon pwysig hyn gyda’r myfyrwyr, a fydd gobeithio yn fwy cyfforddus i weithredu i weithredu os byddant mewn sefyllfa o argyfwng yn y dyfodol.”
Mae ymgyrch Defibruary yn cael ei rhedeg oherwydd pobl fel Janice. Ddegawd yn ôl, dioddefodd Janice John ataliad ar y galon gartref. Yn ffodus, roedd ei gŵr Keith yn gwybod sut i wneud CPR ac fe wnaeth rhoi’r sgiliau hyn ar waith nes i griw ambiwlans gyrraedd gyda diffibriliwr.
Roedd Janice a Keith ill dau wedi cwblhau hyfforddiant cymorth cyntaf gan eu bod yn wirfoddolwyr gyda St John Ambulance Cymru ac yn ymatebwyr cyntaf gwirfoddol, ond nid oeddent byth yn disgwyl y byddai angen y sgiliau hyn mor agos at eu cartref.
Ddeng mlynedd ymlaen, mae Janice yn dal i fod yn wirfoddolwr gweithgar gyda St John Ambulance Cymru ac mae hefyd yn gweithio i helpu eraill gyda Gwasanaeth Ymateb Cyflym Lles a Chwympiadau’r elusen yn ardal Sir Benfro, sy’n cael ei redeg mewn partneriaeth â Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda.
Dywedodd Janice, sydd ers hynny wedi prynu diffibriliwr rhag ofn y bydd rhywbeth fel hyn yn digwydd gartref eto:
“Mae mor bwysig dysgu’r sgiliau cymorth cyntaf sylfaenol hyn ac mae’n hanfodol rhoi cymorth cyntaf cyn gynted â phosibl er mwyn rhoi gwell siawns o oroesi i bobl.”
Mae’r digwyddiad yn Ysgol Uwchradd Hwlffordd yn un yn unig o’r arddangosiadau cymorth cyntaf rhad ac am ddim mewn ysgolion a grwpiau cymunedol a gyflwynir fel rhan o bartneriaeth St John Ambulance Cymru ag EcoFlow, cwmni byd-eang sy’n arbenigo mewn cynhyrchion pŵer cludadwy, technoleg solar a datrysiadau ynni cartref clyfar.
I ddarganfod mwy am ymgyrch ‘Defibruary’ St John Ambulance a dysgu sut y gallwch chi gymryd rhan, ewch i'n dudlaen Defibruary.