AS a seemingly healthy, professional footballer, the last thing Tom Lockyer expected was to nearly die on the pitch from a cardiac arrest.
Two years ago, he collapsed mid-game and his heart stopped for just under three minutes.
Now, fully recovered and fitted with a small defibrillator in his chest, the Bristol Rovers and Wales defender, 31, is calling for everyone to spend 15 minutes learning CPR through the British Heart Foundation website.
The Every Minute Matters campaign — a partnership between Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation, and supported by the English Football League — wants 500,000 fans to learn the lifesaving emergency procedure by the end of February.
The drive is being backed by aces including Dion Dublin, Graeme Souness and Fabrice Muamba, who also suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match in 2012.
Across a four-day period this month, the start of every game in League One and League Two will be rescheduled by one minute to highlight the difference 60 seconds can make to someone having a cardiac arrest.
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Tom knows that only too well after the quick actions of staff and medics saved his life during the Luton Town and Bournemouth AFC match on December 16, 2023.
The former Luton captain said: “Everyone should learn it, because it saves lives.
“It’s easy to think, ‘I’ll never use it’, or ‘I’ll never have a cardiac arrest’, but it doesn’t discriminate — it can happen to anyone.
“The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest decrease by ten per cent for every minute someone doesn’t have CPR or a defibrillator used on them.
“You could be there when a loved one has one — it could be your mum, dad, sister — or even your child.
“We should all be able to step up and save a life if we need to, especially when it comes to CPR.”
Since returning to football, Tom has been inundated with messages from fans and other players about their own health issues.
He said: “People will share they have heart conditions.
“I happened to have a cardiac arrest on the pitch, but it happens away from the public eye too.”
HOW TO DO CPR ON ADULTS
By Lizzie Moscardini, RevivR programme manager, British Heart Foundation
- Check for a response. Firmly shake the person’s shoulders and ask loudly if they are OK.
- Call 999. If the person is unconscious and not breathing, or not breathing normally, start CPR.
- If there is someone with you, ask them to try to find a defibrillator.
- Start chest compressions. With the heel of your hand in the centre of their chest, press down smoothly and firmly at a rate of two per second. Try pushing to the beat of Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees.
- Use a defibrillator as soon as you can. Follow its instructions carefully while you continue to give CPR.