Automated External Defibrillator for Dolgoch

Installation of an Automated External Defibrillator at Dolgoch station

Funded by The Rotary Club of Tywyn

The Rotary Club of Tywyn were privileged to receive an invitation from Lorraine Simkiss the Customer Care Manager of The Tal-Y-Llyn Railway Company (TRC). Lorraine kindly invited members of the Club to travel on the TRC in appreciation of the generous donation made by the Rotary Club that enabled the TRC to install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at the station at Dolgoch.

Several members of the Rotary Club joined the train at Tywyn on the 26^th of August for a return trip to Abergynolwyn station stopping at Dolgoch station to see the AED that had been installed. Joining the group was Julie Starling a specialist cardiac nurse who later wrote.     

“Anyone, at any age, can suffer a sudden cardiac arrest; it is unpredictable and can strike anytime, anywhere and without warning”.
“A cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating due to a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system. The malfunction that causes cardiac arrest is a life-threatening abnormal rhythm, or arrhythmia. When this occurs, defibrillation (the administration of an electric shock) together with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the only way to re-establish the heart’s natural rhythm. For every minute that defibrillation is delayed, the victim’s chance of survival decreases by 10%”

Julie also added,

“As an Arrhythmia Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist working for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, it is fantastic to see the community spirit of Tywyn and the Rotary Club coming together to support the Tal-Y-Llyn Railway enabling the company to purchase life-saving AEDs”.

The Rotary Club of Tywyn are proud to have been part of the nationwide campaign to make defibrillators widely available and help to save the lives of heart attack victims.

The above is a Press Release by Rotarian Maciek Kaczmar