It began in 2011 after the tragic loss of our son Oliver during a swimming lesson in school. He suffered a cardiac arrest, and it was later confirmed he had a condition called SADS. It was my aim to never have another family go through and suffer like we did and so the foundation began. The challenge was where do we start so we initially began to raise awareness about sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) and advocate for access to defibrillators in schools.
We struggled for 11 years but with resilience and commitment we were able to collect over 100,000 signatures to get into parliament and be heard. With dedication and tenacity along with the support from local and UK members of parliament and most importantly Nadhim Zahawi we finally reached our goal of ensuring all UK state schools would have access to defibrillators. With the support of The Department of Education to date over 20,500 defibrillators have been delivered to all UK state schools as of last summer 2023 which is a significant achievement.
Our next goal is to extend the availability of defibrillators to all public places and to establish an ECG Testing and Wellness Centre. A place to provide a space for testing, support and wellness which is crucial in addressing potential heart conditions and offering assistance and support for both survivors and their families. I want to thank everyone involved in the foundation, our supporters, fundraisers, and the public. With collective efforts The Oliver King Foundation will continue to make a difference for positive change and impact lives for the better.
Thank You
Mark King
Defibrillators placed across the UK
Defibrillator training
Lives saved
