Port Glasgow mum wants defibrillators in every Scottish building after death of 10 year old

A woman from Port Glasgow campaigning for public access defibrillators after her 10-year-old son collapsed and died, will give evidence to MSPs.

Kathleen Orr began calling for more public places to have the life-saving equipment after her son Jayden suffered a cardiac arrest while ice skating at Auchenharvie in Saltcoats last year.

The keen skater, from Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, was training for the British Championships when he died on August 4 last year.

Kathleen Orr spoke to Clyde News about her son: "Jayden was a wee boy with a massive personality, he was always full of fun. He loved his figure skating, it was his passion.

"I hope to save lives and stop families having to go through what we've went through.

"Jayden's Law will mean there will be a better chance of someone surviving if a defibrillator is available and being used.

Now, his mother will speak in support of her petition calling for the Scottish Government to introduce a requirement for all new builds, or buildings which have been renovated or re-purposed, to have a public access defibrillator fitting to the outside.

The regulations would apply to buildings with a floorspace of 7,500m2 or above and would also require the devices to be officially registered.

Her petition gathered 200 signatures in support.

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan will also give evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee in support of the campaign.

Papers for the committee note of the around 3,000 people a year in Scotland who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital only 6% survive to be discharged from hospital.

Speedy treatment with a defibrillator to administer a shock to restart the heart is part of a chain of actions, including early resuscitation, viewed as giving a greater chance of survival.

The papers note a defibrillator's electrical shock to the heart within 3-5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 75%.