Stars urge fans to support petition
Liverpool players and celebrities are backing a campaign for the introduction of vital Automated External defibrillators in schools, public places and sports clubs – and you could make a difference by signing an important petition.
With figures estimating that up to 12 young people die from sudden cardiac arrest in the United Kingdom every week, access to and early use of an AED could significantly reduce that number.
Therefore a petition has been set up by the Oliver King Foundation calling on the government to 'introduce defibrillators to all public buildings by 2017' and 'offer all people aged between 12 and 35 a simple ECG test'.
The online petition requires 100,000 signatures to force a debate in parliament, with 20,000 currently needed to reach that goal before the closing date on February 10.
Liverpool club doctor Zaf Iqbal has personally backed the campaign, as two of his children suffer from a cardiac condition and his three-year-old son required urgent AED treatment following a cardiac arrest in December 2012.
Iqbal has contacted all Liverpool FC staff encouraging them to sign the petition, while many of the club's players - including Luis Suarez, Glen Johnson and Lucas Leiva - have tweeted about their support.
Former manager Kenny Dalglish, ex-Reds Charlie Adam and Michael Owen, Tottenham duo Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone, and boxer Amir Khan have also promoted the cause via social media.
The petition takes just two minutes to sign, and it is important to check and authorise the subsequent confirmation email to ensure that the signature is registered. Fans are also encouraged to share the petition via their own social media accounts and email.
Mark Haig of the LFC Foundation said: "This is an amazing achievement in such a short time. The Oliver King Foundation team have worked so hard, and we will continue to support them to help promote this scheme."