Defibrillator installed after fatal cardiac arrest

A family whose son died from a cardiac arrest have said they hope a new defibrillator installed in his memory will "give someone the chance he didn't have".

After Sam Polledri died aged 24 in Bristol in 2022, his family set up a foundation to save others.

An automated external defibrillator (AED) was unveiled at Dundry View in Hengrove by the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) and the Sam Polledri Foundation, which has helped fund more than 90 other devices.

Sam's mother Louise Polledri said losing her son was "devastating", which was made even harder knowing "there were defibrillators close to where he collapsed, but they weren't accessible to the public".

The new device was unveiled at Dundry View, the newly completed 53-home affordable housing development completed by Goram Homes for Bristol City Council.

The AED was funded by the Whitchurch and Hengrove Community Group, with support from local councillors to secure funding through the development's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

Louise said: "We're so pleased to see one here at Dundry View.

"We hope it is never needed, but if somebody does suffer a cardiac arrest, having a defibrillator nearby and available could give someone the chance that Sam didn't have."

There were five defibrillators nearby when keen rugby player Sam collapsed in Millennium Square in central Bristol four years ago, but all were behind locked doors.

The foundation's aim is to ensure that anyone who suffers an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has someone nearby who can perform CPR and access an AED within a three-minute walk.

If a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest, survival rates increase from 6% to 74%, according to the foundation.

Caroline Kivungi, defib officer at GWAAC, said: "When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, the first few minutes are critical."

Elaine Olphert, technical director at Goram Homes, said it was "proud to play a part in supporting and continuing Sam's legacy".

She said that all future housing developments by Goram Homes would include a publicly accessible defibrillator.

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