A MOTHER who suffered a cardiac arrest at her children’s school was saved thanks to a heart defibrillator - bought as part of the Argus-led Jack’s Appeal.

Louise Powell, 45, was attending a parents’ evening at Blackwood Comprehensive School on April 15 along with her 18-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son when she suddenly collapsed.

A heart defibrillator, which was installed at the school exactly 11 months earlier through a campaign - from your Argus and the family of Oakdale teen Jack Thomas who died suddenly in 2012 - to get the devices into every secondary school in Gwent and the Rhymney Valley, was used on Mrs Powell for more than 35 minutes as she lay unconscious.

She was shocked five times by the defib before being taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital, but was immediately transferred to the Heath Hospital in Cardiff.

Mrs Powell, of Lewis Lewis Avenue in Blackwood, received critical care and was under sedation for four days following the collapse, as doctors warned her family to fear the worst.

Speaking exclusively to the Argus, Mrs Powell said: “I don’t remember anything from a week before it happened and a week after. I had seen 11 out of 13 teachers and I was on my twelfth when it happened.

“My daughter was the one who was with me at the time even though I was there for [son] Luke’s teachers.”

Her daughter, Kate, who is hoping to go on to study medicine at university, said: “It was going normally. She didn’t say she felt any pain but then Mam turned to me and said ‘I don’t feel..’ and before she could finish her sentence she collapsed.

“It was as if she had fainted – it came out of nowhere. Mam was still breathing but then she was starting to struggle.”

The brave teen then put her mother into the recovery position and looked on as parents and staff – and then paramedics – came to her mother’s aid.

“It’s when I took a step back and realised that she needed CPR that it hit me and I got emotional,” Kate added.

Husband Jason, 44, who was not present when his wife collapsed but arrived soon after, said: “The doctor told me to expect the worse. It was awful to see her like that."

Fortunately the life-saving defibrillator was on hand, after the the Argus teamed up with June and Grant Thomas to launch Jack’s Appeal, a campaign to get the defibs, which cost around £1,000 each, into every secondary and special school in Gwent and the Rhymney Valley in memory of their son.

The defibrillator at the school was donated to Jack's Appeal by Blackwood Rotary Club after it held a series of fund-raising activities in the town.

Jason added: “The defib was absolutely brilliant – it told you when to do the CPR and when to do the shocks. It's a miracle she's alive and we're so happy to have her home.”

Mrs Powell's cardiac arrest had happened due to a cardiomyopathy and she was kept in hospital for nearly a month before being allowed to return home on May 9.

She has now been fitted with a heart defibrillator/pacemaker and has been told she cannot drive and will not be able to resume her job as a child minder in the near future.

But despite this, she said: “I count myself extremely lucky that I was at the school – everybody was so prompt and professional.”

Mrs Powell is now recovering at home, surrounded by her family, countless cards and flowers. She says she owes her life to a simple device.

“I’m not one to be seen in the paper,” the mum-of-two added. “But I just want to thank the school, the parents and teachers who helped, the doctors, and obviously the defibrillator because I don’t think I would be here today without it. It saved my life.”

Jack Thomas, who stood at a towering 6ft 3in, had no previous health issues and was competing towards the Taekwondo European Championships at the time of his death.

He was 15 years old when he died suddenly at his girlfriend’s house in Newbridge in February 2012.

His parents are yet to find out what exactly caused his death, but believe it to be associated with a possible arrhythmia.

Along with the help of charity Welsh Hearts, who provide the devices and training for the schools, more than £33,000 has been raised and only a handful of schools in the area are left without a defib.

June Thomas, whose family have been campaigning tirelessly for the widespread installation of defibrillators, said Mrs Powell’s ordeal is proof that they are needed nationwide.

She said: “Within a year it has had to be used – how many times does the school use a fire extinguisher?

“For me it just proves how important they are because if the defib had not been there Louise would not have stood a chance.

“We just hope now that they can be put in every public building. I would urge every school that has received a defib to come forward and ask Welsh Hearts to provide training for them because it’s easy, and it does save lives.”

Mrs Thomas’ sentiments were echoed by the director of Welsh Hearts, Sharon Owen.

She said: “It is truly amazing that one of the defibrillators from Jack’s Appeal has had to be used, and has saved someone’s life.

“CPR training is so important and given by us free of charge – our medical team is happy to go anywhere to provide it.”

Since its launch, Jack’s Appeal has sparked another campaign to get a legislation to make the life-saving machines available in every public place in Wales.

Newport nurse Phil Hill, who is leading the petition, spoke alongside Mrs Thomas at the Senedd in Cardiff last year to discuss the probability of introducing Jack’s Law.

And earlier this year at Lliswerry High School in Newport, 800 people benefitted from CPR training through Welsh Hearts – thought to be the biggest single training session of its kind in Wales.

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Your money will not go to waste. Jack’s Appeal is continuing in its aim to deliver heart defibrillators to every secondary school across Wales having already reached its initial target in Gwent and the Rhymney Valley.

If you want to donate, or want to know more about Jack’s Law, visit welshhearts.org/jacksappeal or rememberingjack.co.uk.

Otherwise, people can donate money by sending cheques payable to Welsh Hearts, to Temple Court, 13a Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HA. Put reference “Jack Thomas defibs appeal” on the back of the envelope.