Mark Preston said it was a day he'll "never forget"
Mark Preston
Mark Preston(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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A man was inspired to act after his friend died unexpectedly. Mark Preston, 52, was playing a football match with his friend Darren Scott back in February 2022 when Darren appeared to pick up a hamstring injury.
However, Mark, as well as everyone else at the match that day, had no idea Darren was seriously unwell. Speaking to the ECHO, Mark said: “During the game, we thought he’d pulled his hamstring.
“In fact, he hadn’t pulled his hamstring, he actually had a blood clot. After half-time, he went back out to play again. He was on the sideline because he thought he had an injury. All of a sudden, he was having a cardiac arrest because the blood clot had triggered it.”
Two people performed CPR on Darren, but they didn’t have a defibrillator at the match, which took place in County Durham. Darren, who was 40, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the NHS, before some heart attacks, a deposit of fat can form and then burst, causing a blood clot at the site of the rupture. The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack.
Mark, who is from School Aycliffe in County Durham, was devastated by the unexpected loss of his close friend but became motivated to make a difference.
He said: ”We don't know whether the defibrillator would've saved Darren. Since that day, the first thing I did is try to help the family raise money for the family to support them as much as I could.
“And then once we'd raised a certain amount of money, I said, look I'm going to start raising money for defibrillators , so if something like happens again, it’s going to give people a fighting chance.”
Since then, Mark’s charity, Missed a Beat, has helped install 70 community defibrillators throughout the country and over 100 portable defibrillators to community sports teams.
Mark raised funds for a defibrillator at Homebaked, by Anfield, thanks to his charity Missed a Beat
Mark raised funds for a defibrillator at Homebaked, by Anfield, thanks to his charity Missed a Beat(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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Mark said: “It doesn’t matter what sport it is or what sort of environment it is, we try to help them.”
Mark became a Liverpool FC supporter thanks to Reds legend Peter Beardsley, who is also from the north east, as he played a crucial part in the club winning two league titles and the FA Cup between 1987 and 1991.
Mark has since been supported in his fundraising efforts by Beardsley, as well as John Barnes and Jurgen Klopp. Mark went to Klopp’s former house in Formby to get shirts signed, and was welcomed in by the former Reds manager and his wife Ulla Sandrock.
Mark has installed other defibrillators in Merseyside too, but a landmark moment came yesterday (Sunday, February 8). Mark, alongside former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, unveiled a new defibrillator outside Homebaked, the much-loved bakery opposite Anfield, before the game against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Mark with Chris Kirkland and Homebaked staff member Alison McKay
Mark with Chris Kirkland and Homebaked staff member Alison McKay(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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Mark said: “I approached Homebaked. They’re a fantastic group and were more than happy to support putting it there.
“We funded the whole project but Homebaked has put a charity box behind the counter. That charity box will pay for any pads or hygiene kits that are potentially needed if and when the defibrillator is ever used.
“Chris Kirkland came along which was fantastic. I’ve met Chris a number of times. He’s told me that he’s going to try and get me some signed shirts to raise more funds. I’ve told him I’m committed to putting at least another one somewhere around the ground.”
Mark with Homebaked staff
Mark with Homebaked staff(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
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Mark believes he is "celebrating Darren's life" through his charity work. He said: “Every time I put a defibrillator out, I think of Darren. It keeps him in my head.
“It’s a day that I'll never forget, a day that I'd like to forget. Darren lives forever in a way. As a result of what happened to Darren, he’s potentially saving hundreds and hundreds of lives by me doing this, pushing myself to do what I do.
“When I speak to any football team, I'll say your defibrillator comes in hand alongside your first aid kit. It could (happen to) anyone. It could be a superstar, it could be an old person, it could be a young person.”
The defibrillator is located on the wall next to Homebaked on Oakfield Road, opposite the Sir Kenny Dalglish stand at Anfield.