First ever defib installed at Mugdock Country Park

Well done to all involved as Mugdock gets its first defib installed.

Sean McMenemy and his sister Carla were visiting the loch, known locally as Abies Loch, in July last year, when Sean began to feel unwell and suffered a cardiac arrest. Within minutes of shouting for help, several bystanders rushed around Sean and two of them – Gillian Glenroy and Lesley Knox - worked as a team to perform high quality CPR for thirty minutes.

When the paramedics arrived, they were then able to use a defibrillator to shock Sean’s heart back into rhythm. However, he remained in a critical condition and for several weeks fought for his life in the Intensive Care Unit at the Golden Jubilee Hospital before making a full recovery.

After Sean was allowed home, Carla along with Gillian and Lesley, decided to fundraise for a life-saving defibrillator at Mugdock Park, to support others in surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Last week, Carla and mum Alison along with Gillian and Lesley, were at Mugdock Park to see the defibrillator being installed.

Chair of Mugdock Park Management Committee, Councillor Jim Gibbons said, “This is an amazing gesture from Sean’s family and friends and we cannot thank them enough.

“Mugdock Park is a much-loved place and people from all over Scotland and beyond visit us each year. We strive to make the park an enjoyable and safe place for everyone to spend time in and having access to a defibrillator is just another measure that is in place to ensure the safety of our visitors.”

The trio raised the money by organising and hosting a special CPR awareness event at Mugdock Park featuring Trossachs Search and Rescue. Those who attended were able to not only learn CPR, but also play games and take part in yoga, face painting and tombola, as well as enjoy a BBQ.

The event was a huge success and Carla, Gillian and Lesley were able to purchase a defibrillator for Mugdock Park, one for their local town of Paisley and donate funds to Trossachs Search and Rescue.

Carla McMenemy added, “We decided to fundraise because a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any age, at any time. However, early intervention CPR and defibrillation can increase a person’s chance of surviving. Sean was 33 years old when it happened to him and he was one of the lucky one in 10 to survive. Defibrillators are crucial to be able to have a chance of bringing someone back following a cardiac arrest. When you use a defibrillator in addition to quality CPR, the odds of someone’s survival can jump from around 6% to 74% - an incredible difference.

“Mugdock Park and Dumbrock Loch are rural but have massive footfall all year round. When we realised there was no defibrillator on site it was a no-brainer to fundraise to get one.

I am so grateful to those individuals who played a part in saving my brother's life and I just wanted to pay that forward.

“We would like to thank every single person who donated and supported this life saving cause. We are truly grateful for everyone’s kindness and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

You can find any defibrillator registered near where you are at any time by visiting Defib finder. If someone calls 999 due to a cardiac arrest situation the control room will give directions on how to access and use the defibrillator over the phone.