A WREXHAM mum was "blown away" by an act of kindness from a local businessman to help support her daughter with a heart condition.

Seven-year-old Reeva McLoughlin, from Burton, near Rossett, has Long QT Syndrome - a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias). Around one in 2,000 people are affected by it. 

Those who do have symptoms usually have blackouts or fainting, because the heart has stopped pumping blood properly and the brain is temporarily starved of oxygen – the heart's rhythm returns to normal within a few minutes and the person regains consciousness. Young people with LQTS syndrome have an increased risk of sudden death.

As such, Reeva has been carrying her own defibrillator with her every day since joining St. Peter’s Church in Wales Primary School in Rossett when she was three.

Her mum, Janine Nugent, recently reached out to the community via social media, to ask if anyone could advise on what charities could possibly help to raise funds, which would enable them to purchase one to remain at the school permanently.

And within less than 24 hours, a businessman came forward and offered to buy one for the school, along with training, a housing unit for the device and signage.

It came from Dave O'Brien, managing director of Complete Fixing Solutions Ltd, who lives in Rossett and was alerted to Janine's post on Facebook. 

"I was completely blown away," Janine said. "That act of kindness is so moving and I want to say a huge thank you to Dave for what he's done. 

"It's such a big thing for us, as not is it good for Reeva and takes a weight off my mind that the defibrillator is always here - but it's there for anyone to use when needed. At any time, a child or adult can collapse from an underlying heart condition they don't know about."

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Reeva's heart condition runs in the family, with her dad, Scott, finding out he had it aged 26 after his sister sadly died suddenly in her sleep - having been misdiagnosed with epilepsy. 

Mr O'Brien said: "I've always been keen on defibrillators - they just seem like a no-brainer. Janine's post was brought to my attention by a friend because we have talking about purchasing one for the Rossett area. 

"I was quite amazed that they don't have them in schools. There may be another child walking around school who hasn't been diagnosed. For the sake of a relatively small amount of funding, it's a life-saver. It seemed easy enough to fix without having to crowdfund, and that's why I stepped in to help."

Janine added: "The school has been so supportive of the condition. For me as a mum, with her going to school every day and away on school trips, they've put my mind at rest. 

"Every time she's gone up to a new class, the teachers have got me in for meetings and I've always felt I can approach Mrs Pritchard (headteacher) and the team about it. They've been amazing."