“Every sports club must purchase an automatic defibrillator.” That is the remarkable appeal of Jerôme Callebaut. The medical student saved the life of 14-year-old footballer Gilian De Wolf last week. He suffered cardiac arrest during training at his club KSV Zottegem. With the help of the AED device present, Callebaut managed to restart Gilian's heart. “A defibrillator is much cheaper than clubs think,” says Jerôme Callebaut, who also teaches resuscitation courses himself.

The incident with Gilian once again proves the importance of a defibrillator, says Callebaut. “I strongly advocate for every club to purchase such a device. It's quite coincidental that I was involved in a resuscitation myself, as I've been involved in training for a longer time.”

The perception surrounding such a device often deters clubs from purchasing one. “Many clubs think it's too expensive,” says Callebaut. Purchasing one quickly costs between 4000 and 6000 euros, but nowadays you can also lease them. That costs around 30 to 35 euros per month. And you can save lives with it.”

Update: In January 2023, Gillian received the ‘Comeback of the Year’ award for his return to the football field. The award is part of the Golden Shoe, a coveted prize in the Belgian football league.

Bron tekst en beeld: VRT News and HLN