On a typical Saturday evening, a family’s peace was shattered when a mother heard a faint sound emanating from her daughter’s room, prompting her to investigate. Jayne Biggs, residing in Norfolk, was on the ground floor of their residence when she caught the sound of her seven-year-old daughter, Violet, coughing upstairs. Acting on instinct, she rushed to Violet’s bedroom to check on her well-being.
Upon entering the room, Jayne was alarmed to find Violet not breathing. Initially thinking she had choked on something, Jayne recounted the harrowing experience where her daughter had unexpectedly suffered a cardiac arrest. In a state of shock, both Jayne and her husband performed CPR on Violet for seven critical minutes before emergency services arrived.
Paramedics swiftly responded within seven minutes, administering a defibrillator shock and continuing CPR for an additional two minutes before transferring Violet to the hospital, where she ultimately survived the terrifying episode. Violet spent a month in medical care and was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, a rare heart condition that can trigger life-threatening heart rhythm irregularities.
To manage her condition, Violet received an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) for continuous heart monitoring and automatic shock delivery if needed. Reflecting on the fateful day in February 2013, Jayne expressed gratitude for her timely intervention, emphasizing that their quick actions were instrumental in saving Violet’s life.
Jayne, alongside her husband Tony, who had received first aid training from their previous offshore industry work, successfully revived Violet through CPR. Subsequently, Jayne established the Heart 2 Heart Norfolk charity to facilitate the installation of defibrillators with public access nationwide, contributing to over 400 installations to date.
Continuing her advocacy, Jayne raises funds for additional defibrillator placements and offers free CPR and defibrillation training to the community. Through the easyfundraising platform, supporters can contribute to Heart 2 Heart Norfolk’s cause by shopping at participating retailers, with a portion of their spending automatically donated to the charity.
Jayne encourages others to recognize the importance of defibrillators, emphasizing that sudden cardiac arrest can affect individuals of all ages. She underscores the critical role of community-driven initiatives in funding defibrillator placements, stressing that these life-saving devices are often supported by charitable contributions rather than government or NHS funding.