FAMILY'S GENETIC TICKING TIMB BOMB

This is a story about a remarkable set of circumstances and a remarkable family who have overcome many obstacles.

When the Wilson family’s youngest son Jasper was born, it was discovered he had a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease which comes with few symptoms but can result in sudden death in otherwise healthy people.

The family then tested their older two boys, and it was discovered that Lewis too has the disease to an even more severe extent.

As a result, the family were advised that they needed to carry an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) with them at all times due to the risk of Lewis going in to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Luckily, with the help of a friend who crowdfunded for two machines, Defib For Life were able to supply the machines to the Wilson family immediately.

“They were amazing. I rang the founder Sue Buckman and told her what we had been told and she said she would pack it up straight away even it if took us three years to pay off because she wanted us to have it immediately,” Ms Wilson said.

Luckily, they did have possession of the AED, as in March on a trip to the beach, Lewis went in to SCA and the defibrillator was indeed needed to shock him back to life. He was rushed to hospital where he had open heart surgery and a cardiac pacemaker and implantable defibrillator were placed inside his chest. His younger brother Jasper will also need the same procedure when he is older, however in the meantime the family can rest assured they have the defibrillators on hand in the case of another Sudden Cardiac Arrest emergency.

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