The father of a six-year-old girl who died at an after-school club has thanked the Aberdeen community as the final city school received a defibrillator in her memory.
Just days after Kacey Seivwright’s death in August, her family decided to seal her legacy through a fundraiser for the lifesaving equipment.
At the time, only seven schools in the Granite City had defibrillators.
But in less than five months, donations totalling more than £50,000 have ensured all 60 primary and secondary schools in Aberdeen can install the devices – alongside a small plaque with a tribute to Kacey.
Dad Raymond Seivwright, mum Michelle Flood and family friend Lauren Boylan have been overwhelmed by the response, and said it would ensure the Tullos Primary pupil was never forgotten.
Mr Seivwright said: “This is what it was all about, this is all for Kacey.
“It’s nothing to do with me or her mum, we’re doing this for Kacey, so Kacey will always be remembered. That’s the whole purpose of it – it’s not for us to be in glory, we don’t care.
“We’re just doing this for Kacey. We don’t want any other family to go through what we went through.”
Defibs give kids suffering cardiac arrest 75% chance of survival
Around the same time the fundraiser began last autumn, Aberdeen City Council was also making plans to kit out all of its schools with the equipment – but are now supporting Mr Seivwright’s efforts instead.
Marie Boulton, the councillor who put forward that motion, said: “It is selfless, that’s the only word. Despite what he has gone through, to think about other families.
“I’m sure wherever Kacey is, she’ll be looking down very proud of her father and her mother.”
The local authority, alongside the John Clark Motor Group, are providing funding for cabinets to house the defibrillators, which have been purchased through the charity London Hearts.
Around 270 children die every year across the UK due to sudden cardiac arrest, but with correct defibrillation, the chances of survival can be as high as 75%.
M Tauqeer Malik, education operational delivery convener for Aberdeen City Council, said: “Initially when approaches were being made directly to individual schools to offer them a defibrillator, some head teachers wanted to seek advice from the local authority before accepting the donations.
“Once Mr Seivwright made contact with the local authority, we worked with him to help coordinate the sharing of information with head teachers, and in providing him with delivery and contact details for each of the schools, following which defibrillators were successfully delivered to all 60 of our schools.”
‘There’s no reason why we should stop now’
It is not just schools that are benefiting from the funding: Torry Care Home, the Den and the Glen children’s park and pubs including the White Cockade, Grampian Bar and Victoria Bar have also received new defibrillators.
Another is going to Kincorth AFC, whose co-manager Andrew Ewen is a close friend of Mr Seivwright. Denis Law’s Streetsport programme is also getting a mobile one which can be taken to a number of spots around the city where sport is being played.
Mr Seivwright has plans to broaden the project beyond the city boundaries too, to ensure his daughter’s legacy can save lives across the entire country.
He said: “For me, I would love it if we could do the whole of Scotland. I would love that.
“If we could get the funding, I would love to keep going and just get as much as we can. There’s no reason why we should stop.
“We’ve done our own area so why not? It could happen anywhere.”
