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We're backing a Spalding mum's life-saving campaign




Amanda Orpen (front) with sons Leon and Oscar, head teacher Kira Nicholls, Donna Palmer, Natalie Mason and Sally Rose. Photo (TIM WILSON): 011019-2
Amanda Orpen (front) with sons Leon and Oscar, head teacher Kira Nicholls, Donna Palmer, Natalie Mason and Sally Rose. Photo (TIM WILSON): 011019-2

The Free Press is giving £100 towards a mum’s campaign to buy a life-saving defibrillator for a Spalding school.

Amanda Orpen has two boys, Oscar (5) and Leon (3), and is raising £700 to buy an AED (automated external defibrillator) for their school, St Paul’s Community Primary and Nursery.

Amanda (41), a former student nurse, and husband Glenn (50), who is ex ambulance service, realise the importance of safeguarding their boys - and everyone else at the school.

Amanda says 270 children will die in school every year from sudden cardiac arrest - and 12 apparently fit and healthy youngsters die each week due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

Amanda is crowdfunding and raising awareness in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons to further boost the total.

The Lincs Free Press Children’s Fund kick-started Amanda’s appeal after hearing the Department for Education recommends every school should have an AED but no funding is provided.

Amanda said our donation was “fantastic news”.

She says: “Survival rates fall by 10 per cent every minute without action, yet using a defibrillator within three minutes of a cardiac arrest can improve a person’s chance of survival as much as 70 per cent.

“These statistics alone are enough for us to say that a defibrillator is an essential piece of equipment that St Paul’s needs.”

Head teacher Kira Nicholls said: “The school has been considering the need and our desire to have a defibrillator onsite for some time, but due to our diminishing budget - as with most schools - it became a ‘want’ rather than a necessity.

“Mrs Orpen is one of our very proactive parents, who is always on the look out for ways to support the school with resources and fundraising. It was during a conversation that we started discussing the desire to have this life-saving equipment on site and then Mrs Orpen went into action. She researched into the initiative and within a couple of days the Just Giving Page was set up. She is an amazing lady, with such a passion for the school and all that we do and I cannot thank her enough.

“I really do hope that we get the support from the wider community and can realise our plans. No one knows when something is needed until it is sometimes too late- we don’t want to be in that position and want to be able to help someone in need, as fast as we can.”

* To donate to the St Paul’s defibrillator fund please visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/amanda-orpen-3 or click here

The Lincs Free Press Children's Fund was founded to help children who live in our circulation area and we thank our readers for donating to it so we can go on helping youngsters.



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