New lifesaving defibrillator installed at Palace Shopping

We at Palace Shopping in Enfield Town are proud to have installed a new community defibrillator, kindly donated by Alison and Simon Lewis in memory of their son Jake, who tragically passed away from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) at just 30 years old.

Located near the lifts passage by Waitrose, the defibrillator is housed in an unlocked cabinet and is registered with the ambulance service on their National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit. In an emergency, anyone can access the defibrillator immediately.

Jake was a vibrant and much-loved young man whose life was cut short in his sleep. His parents, in partnership with national charity SADS UK, chose Palace Shopping as the site for the defibrillator to honour Jake and support the community that meant so much to him.

“The sudden loss of our wonderful son Jake has been devastating,” said Alison and Simon Lewis. “Only 30 years old, he was a healthy and happy young man whose heart stopped beating whilst he slept. He was gentle, kind, smart and funny, and loved beyond measure. We are donating this defibrillator to Palace Gardens in his name, in the hope it will help save lives within the community where he was born.”

A memorial plaque has been installed alongside the defibrillator, marking it as a tribute to Jake.

The initiative was supported by the national cardiac charity SADS UK, which raises awareness of sudden cardiac death and works to place Public Access Defibrillators across the UK.

“SADS UK is extremely grateful to Alison and Simon Lewis for supporting the charity,” said a spokesperson. “The charity was pleased to help organise the defibrillator, cabinet and memorial plaque at The Palace Gardens Shopping Centre. We are delighted that the centre now has a defibrillator on its premises to restart the heart if there is a cardiac arrest nearby. Using CPR alone provides a 5% chance of survival, but when combined with early defibrillation, survival rates increase to over 50%.”

Palace Shopping staff will receive training to use the equipment in emergencies.

Around 80,000 to 120,000 people in the UK experience cardiac arrest outside hospital each year. As the only device capable of restarting the heart, a defibrillator can dramatically improve survival chances.

Palace Shopping is grateful for the Lewis family’s generosity and joins them in their hope that this life-saving gift may protect others.