Four-year-old Scarlett, from Arnold, has been rushed into intensive care on seven different occasions, so KLG Rutland donated a defibrillator to keep her safe at school.

Scarlett Cooper suffers from the very rare Dravet syndrome. This is a severe and sometimes life-threatening type of epilepsy that is usually discovered during a child’s infant years, sometimes leading to seizures lasting for up to three hours.

 
Scarlett’s parents have been unsure to whether she would be able to attend primary school, as there is always a risk of Scarlett suffering a severe epileptic fit whilst at school. It wasn’t right that a lack of facilities at school should keep Scarlett from her education – she is described by her parents as always bouncing back and never stopping, like a “Duracell bunny”.

Kevin Greenfield, the managing director of KLG Rutland, recognised towards the end of 2018 the need for a defibrillator on school premises to keep her safe in the case of Scarlett suffering an epileptic fit or cardiac arrest. Kevin and KLG Rutland have a close relationship with the charity Dravet Syndrome UK, due to Scarlett being a relative of one of our installers, so he was keen to take this opportunity for KLG to make a real impact on Scarlett’s life.

 
Kevin has since purchased a defibrillator to be installed at Arnold Primary School, ready for Scarlett to start school, allowing her to learn effectively with children her own age. Scarlett’s parents described this gift as the “best Christmas present”. Kevin believes that all schools and public areas should have a defibrillator near as a matter of saving many lives. As well as this, an additional £1,000 was raised throughout the year to donate the charity, helping to change the lives of many other children around the country.

Take a look at KLG’s various donations made to local families and charities throughout the year. We’re excited about what’s to come for 2019, and how we can further help our community around us.