Our facebook group is really thriving with now over 300 members and whenever I get the chance to promote the group I do. So when talking to a cardiologist about it he asked me what the makeup of the group was, and I thought I had an idea, but it was based on a hunch so I thought I’d find out.
So with the simple question of “What type of member are you” over a third responded and we got the following results:
[table id=2]
Which diagramatically can be shown as…
So although the group is 2/3 survivors, it’s improtant to note that we have a healthy number of partners, parents and others. It’s clear that an SCA does not just affect the survivor, and that non survivors can gain a lot from being in the group. Either to help understand what it’s like to be a survivor or to converse with others in a similar position to them. So if you’ve been affected by an SCA it doesn’t matter which type of member you’d be, we’d love to have you join us.
After our first meet-up in February 2015, I realised I was not alone. It was the first time since my cardiac arrest the previous year that I had spoken face-to-face with someone who had experienced what I had. This was also true for my wife, who also happened to be my lifesaver. From that meet-up, the idea of SCA UK was born. Since then, we have achieved a considerable amount, primarily providing information, resources and support to others in a similar situation but also raising the profile of survivorship and the need for better post-discharge care. We are starting to get traction in this, and with the formation of the charity, I genuinely believe we have a bright future ahead and will make a significant difference in the lives of many who join our ranks.