A WOMAN has raised £1,000 for a defibrillator in a Poole road after her dad had a near-fatal heart attack last year.
Zoe Dibben, 40, has begun a fundraiser for a defibrillator in Vicarage Road, after her dad, Kevin Dibben, 60, had a near-fatal cardiac arrest behind the wheel in the street.
While the family were nearby, including his wife, Pauline Dibben, 59, Zoe and her children, Zoe said he was saved by crashing into a minibus and the six-minute response of the ambulance.
Zoe said: "My son turned around to me and said 'mummy, I think grandad just drove into that minibus'. Luckily he was in first gear but when my dad stalled, my mum couldn't physically get out of the car because there was a parked car.
"He was gone and definitely died. It was absolutely horrendous for me and my kids to witness.
"My mum kept saying 'don't you die on me'."
Taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Kevin was put in intensive care and to the relief of his family came around and is now on the mend.
However, after the incident, they hope to raise £1,600 to put a defibrillator on the road to make sure there is an immediate response available should it be needed.
Zoe said: "We wouldn't have thought about fundraising for a defibrillator before the incident because it's not something you think about.
"There is one dotted around the corner which is a five to six-minute walk but if someone, god forbid, had a heart attack down my mum's road again, anywhere between seven to nine minutes you're pushing your luck to fight it.
"You hear about dementia and cancer and other illnesses, but a cardiac arrest can be too sudden and you need the equipment there immediately."
Zoe and her family have held a fundraiser to help get the needed money for the defibrillator and have begun a GoFundMe to help.
Kevin has been put on medication since the incident and has begun to manage what issue caused the cardiac arrest.
To donate, visit Zoe's GoFundMe page.
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