Statement from Anne Jolly MBE, Founder of SADS UK - Christian Erikson Sudden Cardiac Arrest

June 13, 2021

SADS UK is pleased that Danish Footballer Christian Erikson is recovering well after suffering a cardiac arrest and receiving CPR and early defibrillation.  We praise the medics quick response and lifesaving intervention.

The Danish Midfielders’ sudden collapse was a disturbing reminder that Sudden Cardiac Arrest can occur in apparently fit and healthy people, even the young.  SADS UK installs defibrillators in schools and communities and also funds research into SADS conditions to prevent sudden cardiac death.  A sudden cardiac arrest is a very traumatic event, leaving the individual and family in a state of shock and bewilderment; this can leave them feeling vulnerable for quite some time.  Many people witnessed the event in the stadium and on the television and the catastrophic event will have had an impact on all of them.  

Particular distress will have been caused to the many individuals and families whose loved one did not recover from their cardiac arrest. The premature death of a healthy person with no prior warning is incomprehensible to most people.  The shock and confusion can last for a long time.  SADS UK provides qualified counsellors and support contacts throughout the country to assist individuals with their grief. 

People who have survived cardiac arrest and their families will also have been impacted by witnessing this event on television.  This was clear to see when Fabrice Muamba was interviewed about his cardiac arrest 9 years ago.  Again, SADS UK are here to support those people.

For over 20 years the national cardiac charity SADS UK has been working in the community to save lives.  A lot of work has been carried out by the charity over this time including involvement in Department for Health Guidelines, chapter 8 Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac death being brought into the National Service Framework, ensuring people affected receive appropriate treatment.  SADS UK works closely with SADS International and together with eminent cardiologists and electrophysiologists have developed “The Warning Signs”.  These are signs and symptoms people should be aware of that indicate they should seek medical advice for a possible inherited or underlying cardiac condition.  People who contact the charity are directed to appropriate care.

Thanks to research we now know about many of the faulty genes that case an inherited heart condition.  By finding these genes, researchers can produce genetic tests to help find family members also affected by an inherited condition.  But more still needs to be done.  SADS UK works with Major Heart Hospitals around the country providing funding for projects that deepen the understanding of cardiac arrhythmia and genetic conditions that can cause SADS, sudden cardiac death.

The SADS UK Big Shock Campaign has enabled thousands of defibrillators to be placed in schools together with CPR and training.   The evidence in favour of defibrillators in schools and public places is overwhelming.  The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) have stated for many years now that early CPR coupled with the use of the defibrillator is the most powerful combination in saving lives. 

Taking action has always been the philosophy of the charity.  SADS UK and our members are proud to have helped place thousands of defibrillators in the community and provided training in CPR and the use of the defibrillator.

Every year teachers and members of the public are honoured at the Annual SADS UK National Lifesaver Awards for using CPR and the defibrillator to save a person’s life and the lifesaver is reunited with the person they saved.

Experts have warned that the rate of sudden unexplained deaths in England could be around eight times higher than previously thought.

For more information please contact Anne Jolly : 01277 811215 

 e-mail [email protected] or visit www.sadsuk.org