THE World Ju-Jitsu Federation (WJJF) has given a hospital charity an early Christmas bonus, to say thank you for the lifesaving treatment given to one of its members.
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Charity (LHCH Charity) received the generous £1000 donation from the Fazakerley-based Federation, one of the largest Ju-Jitsu organisations in the world.
The WJJF, founded 40 years ago by Dai-Soke Robert Clark, a leading authority in Ju-Jitsu, teaches the traditional Japanese martial art of Ju-Jitsu to everyone from 4 to 80 years. It is made up and run by dedicated and high level instructors who have developed their style directly under the influence of Soke Robert Clark.
During a recent 4th Dan Black Belt grading session at The WJJF’s Clark Centre, 52-year-old Paul Barnett suffered a massive heart attack.
One of the WJJF coaches, a retired member of the ambulance service, immediately tended to Paul with the help of other first aid trained coaches, before paramedics took over Paul’s treatment and rushed him to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital for emergency treatment.
Sensei Paul, who runs Cherry Leaf Ju-Jitsu Club in Oldham, said: “All I can remember is having a massive pain and then everything going black.
“The paramedics were absolutely marvellous and got me straight to hospital, where I was assessed and had a stent inserted into my heart. Amazingly I was sitting up in bed within a couple of hours.
“I can’t praise the hospital’s staff highly enough. The care and attention they gave me, as well as their quick and decisive actions in ‘shocking’ my heart on two occasions, definitely saved my life.”
Robert Hart, Managing Director of the WJJF, added: “It was a terrible shock and a very worrying time for everyone connected with the Federation when Paul collapsed in the middle of his grading.
“The WJJF is a family orientated group and a close knit community with each of the Sensei being well known to each other.
“We’re just so grateful that the paramedics arrived within minutes and managed to get him to hospital for the specialist care he needed. That’s why the Directors and members of the Federation wanted to show our appreciation and say thank you to the hospital for their amazing work.”
The WJJF is a non-profit making organisation and has many clubs throughout the UK and Internationally. Part of their ethos is to give back to the community and have made other substantial donations to recent causes.
He added: “It’s wonderful to see that Paul has made such a quick recovery – although we have been told to go easy on him and not throw him on the mats just yet!”
Thanking the WJJF, Mary Liley, Head of Fundraising for LHCH Charity, said: “This is an amazing gesture from the WJJF and we can’t thank them enough for supporting our work in this way.
“We hear every day from patients and their families what a fantastic job our dedicated medical staff do, so we are always tremendously grateful when people help us to help them.”
