CAITLIN Brennan has gone the extra mile to raise money towards a new defibrillator in Keynsham.
Braving stormy conditions, she hiked up Pen y Fan – the highest peak in South Wales – with an intrepid group of family and friends.
She then enjoyed much brighter weather on the KeynshamNow spring cycle ride, pedalling from Saltford to Bristol, Bristol to Bath and then back to Saltford again.
Caitlin said: “It took us 3 hours 19 minutes. It was very hard work! Lucky, we had lovely weather at least.”
She has set a target of £2,000 for her defibrillator campaign on Gofundme. As the Voice went to press, it had raised £1,020.
Caitlin was inspired to raise the money after a traumatic incident last October.
She was walking to a friend’s house in Somerdale at about midnight when she found the man lying on grass near the site’s entrance.
At first she assumed he was asleep and tried to wake him, but he did not respond.
A check of his pockets revealed no information that might explain why he was unconscious, so she rang 999 and followed their instructions for treating someone in cardiac arrest.
“I screamed for help as there was no defibrillator near me.
“Thankfully, a group of men stopped and helped as I wasn’t strong enough to continue chest compressions on my own.
“This was the scariest situation I’ve ever been in. The ambulance and police crew were there within minutes and were amazing.
“Had I not completed defibrillator training with my local council only a few weeks before, this situation could have been completely different.
“The ambulance driver told me I saved his life, but to this day I’m not sure what happened to him after.”
Calltin hopes the new defibrillator will be installed near the entrance to Somerdale, where she found the man. The target amount would also cover a bleed kit and an anaphylaxis kit.
“Should I exceed the goal, I’m hoping to hold a session where anyone who’s been in this situation can come together and talk about their experience – it’s not something I knew how to deal with.”
Although Caitlin is a Keynsham town councillor, she is raising the money as a private individual, but the defibrillator would be managed by the council once in place.
To donate to Caitlin’s fundraiser, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/santa-cycle
Pictured, Caitlin Brennan (second from left) and her team reach the peak of Pen y Fan