29/10/2025
CPR TRAINING AVAILABLE AFTER LOCAL MAN SAVED
A local retired builder was given bystander CPR in September 2024 and shocked with a defibrillator six times to attempt to restart his heart.
76-year-old Ian Jurd was “blue and lifeless” when his wife, Jackie, walked into Medstead Village Hall to see their friend performing CPR on her husband of 43 years.
"Ian was dead – I could tell", added Jackie. Dave his badminton friend was performing CPR , and others were organising the defibrillator that is stationed at the hall, and the emergency services were called"
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance crew were dispatched from Thruxton and landed on the cricket green just 100 metres away from the scene. Jackie watched on as they strode into the hall with their kit bags and joined their ambulance colleagues to attempt to save Ian’s life.
Ian was taken to Basingstoke Hospital and after initial treatment was taken to intensive care and kept in an induced coma for five days. He later had three stents and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted.
Ian said, “To think that two police cars, two ambulances and an air
ambulance turned up within 15 minutes of me collapsing – I wouldn't have had better treatment if I was the King of England.
I look at myself in the mirror sometimes and I can't believe I’m still here. I'm so grateful for everything that was done for me especially the CPR. Jackie and I feel so lucky. We've got a lovely family – with three children and five wonderful grandchildren. To be here for them is just a miracle."
Restart a Heart Day is a national day raising awareness of the importance of performing early CPR... Fewer than 1-in-10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital arrest, and for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival reduces by up to 10%.
St Andrew’s Church have raised the funds to install another defibrillator near the entrance to the Church Hall, which is opposite the Castle of Comfort pub.
This provides Medstead with defibrillators at both sides of the village and they have been operational since the 9th October.
YOUR CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO SAVE A LIFE
Here are the dates, times and places where you can receive training in CPR and Defibrillator Familiarisation:
Saturday 8th November - 2pm at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Medstead
Wednesday 12th November - 12.30 - 2pm. at The Assembly Rooms, Alton
Wednesday 19th November - 10.30am - 12.30pm at The Assembly Rooms, Alton
Saturday 22nd November - 10.30am at The Church of the Good Shepherd, Four Marks
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You can just turn up at each event though a good idea to email him and give him an idea of numbers at each event. His email is [email protected].
Thanks for reading and hope to see you at one of these events.
