St Ives FC to host tribute match
Defibrillators are not normally on every football club’s must-have list, but it is in the most tragic times that their necessity becomes most apparent.
A current defibrillator campaign is underway in the Sydney football community following the tragic passing of Emin Rufati while playing for St Ives Football Club last April.
Emin collapsed while playing football and an autopsy revealed he had died from cardiac sarcoidosis.
His death was one of at least nine on football fields since 2014.
Emin’s wife, Jen, said the passing of her husband had come as a complete shock and while she could not say for certain if a defibrillator would have helped.
“It’s important because at least it gives the individual the chance to survive,” she told The North Shore Times.
“It can take a medical response unit up to half an hour before they’re on site. It’s those critical first minutes that make a difference.”
On Sunday, February 28, the club is hosting a tribute match between St Ives and Emin’s employer, 3M Australia, to raise $17,500 towards five defibrillators, to add to the six that fellow St Ives player Damian Erich had managed to purchase after his fundraising efforts.
This will take place at 3:15pm at Macquarie Oval.
“All sporting clubs need to be prepared and look at getting defibrillators into clubs as one way to try and stem deaths on sporting grounds,” Damian told The North Shore Times.
“The 2016 winter sport season kicks off the weekend after Easter and thousands of players will take to the field.”
-By Matthew Galea
