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Pembrokeshire siblings receive award for saving their father’s life

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CAI and Celyn Llewellyn, a brother and sister from Pembrokeshire, have received prestigious recognition at an award ceremony in London.

The pair were awarded a British Heart Foundation Heart Hero Award on 6th December after their father, John, had suffered a cardiac arrest at their home in Fishguard in November last year. John’s life was saved by the quick thinking of his two children who carried out CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

The British Heart Foundation’s Heart Hero Awards is an annual event to honour incredible people who’ve shown remarkable bravery and gone above and beyond to help others while coping with the devastating impact of heart disease. The event celebrates everyone from CPR lifesavers to innovative fundraisers, research champions and healthcare heroes working in the NHS. The ceremony was attended by a star-studded guest list including Pippa Middleton, Vernon Kay and David Seaman, amongst others.

“If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone.”

Cai (19) and Celyn (22) were nominated for the award by their mother, Nicola.

Nicola said, “My husband John was just doing his usual morning workout in our home-made gym. It’s not very often the kids are home on the weekend, but on this particular Sunday morning, Cai and Celyn were making a cooked breakfast when John suddenly staggered into our kitchen. They immediately alerted me to call 999.”

Celyn had realised something was seriously wrong as John was unable to speak or catch his breath, while Cai put his arms around John to help him to the sofa. No sooner than Cai and Celyn had moved John to the sofa, he went limp. Despite no previous experience in CPR, the pair had to jump into action.

Cai said, “It was like a light switch. Dad suddenly was like a dead body next to me on the couch and was no longer in control of himself. Something just clicked inside me – I managed to put him on the floor and cut his t-shirt off to begin CPR.”

Meanwhile, Celyn was aware that the nearest defibrillator to them was at the village hall, situated around 300 yards from their house and sprinted to retrieve it while the family received support over the phone from the emergency operator.

Celyn added: “None of us had ever used a defib before. We didn’t even know we needed a code to access it, but the four-digit code is now etched in my brain. Once I got back with the defibrillator, the next 20 minutes were crucial. Cai was amazing – he was so calm taking on responsibility of using the defibrillator and finding the electrical rhythm with support over the phone from 999. We had to shock him three times in between 20 minutes of CPR, before the fire brigade arrived as first responders.”

It was a long wait for the family as emergency services took over, and he was eventually flown by air ambulance to Morriston hospital in Swansea – over 60 miles from their home on the west coast.

Doctors believe John’s cardiac arrest was caused by a ventricular arrhythmia, and he was fitted with an ICD (Implantable cardioverter defibrillator) a few weeks later. An ICD is a small device which can treat people with dangerously abnormal heart rhythms. The British Heart Foundation continues to fund research into ICD research, to save and improve more lives in Wales and across the UK. In Wales, just one in 20 people survive a cardiac arrest when it occurs outside of a hospital setting.

On receiving the award, the Llewellyn family said were proud to accept recognition while they adapt to what they call their ‘new normal’. John has now been diagnosed with heart failure, and while the incident has had a physical toll on John’s health, he continues to make incredible progress.

John said, “As a family unit, we’ve made so much progress in a year. At Christmas last year we were still so on edge and for months we were all quite scared to leave the house in case something happened. I am still here because Cai and Celyn acted with a maturity and a calmness that has left me just so proud of them.”

Celyn added, “You can sometimes feel alone in this bubble of being impacted by heart failure, but through the BHF we have found a community of people who understand or even share our experience. Information from BHF is available to help us every step of the way through dad’s recovery. We are now encouraging everyone we meet to get CPR training and to find their local defibrillator. If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone.”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “I’m blown away by the incredible stories of our winners who have shown such courage, resilience, and bravery in the face of heart and circulatory disease.

“These awards are truly heartwarming and make me so proud to be part of Team BHF. Thank you to our judges, hosts, celebrity guests and supporters for creating such a magical evening for the BHF and the heroes we celebrated. We hope the awards inspire others to take action against heart and circulatory diseases – by learning CPR, fundraising, or even donating unwanted goods to one of our stores.

“Our heart heroes are among the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. This Christmas, our research is a gift that keeps on living, helping to keep families together and hearts beating for Christmases to come.”

Support the BHF by giving a gift that keeps on living this Christmas: https://www.bhf.org.uk/christmas

Community

A quarter of Welsh workers struggle to pay bills despite overtime

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A QUARTER of Welsh workers are struggling to pay their bills, while nearly 40% say their salaries do not cover their financial goals, such as buying a home or saving for retirement, new research has found.

The study, conducted by recruitment firm Reed, also revealed that 30% of employees in Wales are unhappy with their pay. Of those, 63% said their wages had not kept up with the cost of living, while 46% blamed low pay within their industry.

Nearly 40% of workers reported working overtime, putting in an average of 6.2 extra hours per week. Among them, 44% said they had no choice due to excessive workloads, while 25% struggled to ‘switch off’ from work.

PAY DISPARITY

Despite working beyond their contracted hours, many employees are not being compensated. Only 21% said they were paid for overtime, while another 21% were able to accrue extra hours. Alarmingly, 44% reported receiving no compensation at all.

Becky Hole, Regional Director at Reed, said: “With 28% of Wales’ population classed as economically inactive, the labour market is tight. It may well be that those who are working feel they need to pick up the slack or work extra hours to compensate for staff shortages.

“It’s clear that Wales has a hardworking population, but the research highlights that many do not feel properly compensated. The extra unpaid hours aren’t alleviating financial worries and could contribute to stress or burnout.”

The findings are part of Reed’s annual salary guide research, which analysed over 21 million job adverts and surveyed 5,000 workers across the UK. The full sector-specific salary guides are available on Reed’s website.

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Community

Bells ring out in Pembroke for St David’s Day parade

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PARADE BRINGS CELEBRATION TO PEMBROKE CASTLE

THE SOUND of bells, whistles, and cheers filled the air in Pembroke as the town marked St David’s Day with its inaugural parade on Saturday (March 1). Organised by Pembroke Town Team and Gwenno Dafydd, the event, titled “Ring Out the Bells for St David,” brought together residents and visitors to celebrate Welsh heritage in a lively and colourful procession.

The parade began at 11:15am, with participants gathering at the North Quay outside the Corn Store. At 11:30am, the procession made its way to Pembroke Castle, creating a vibrant atmosphere with banners, flags, and the sound of bells ringing in honour of Wales’ patron saint. The enthusiasm of the crowd was palpable as families, schoolchildren, and local groups joined in, waving Welsh flags and proudly wearing national colours.

Upon arrival at the castle at midday, the bells rang out to mark the occasion, followed by a range of Welsh-themed entertainment. Traditional music, folk dancing, and performances celebrating Welsh culture kept the spirit of the event alive, reinforcing the importance of St David’s Day in the local community.

Speaking about the success of the parade, an organiser said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate our heritage. The energy and pride on display today truly reflected the spirit of St David’s Day.”

Locals praised the event as a welcome addition to Pembroke’s calendar, with many hoping it will become an annual tradition.

Images by Martin Cavaney

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New leader for Congress group strengthening US-Wales ties

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FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan has welcomed the appointment of Rep. Lloyd Doggett as the new Democratic Co-Chair of the Friends of Wales Caucus in the US Congress.

Rep. Doggett spoke about his new role during a Welsh Government-hosted reception at the Library of Congress to mark St David’s Day. The Caucus, established on St David’s Day in 2014, aims to strengthen cultural and trade links between Wales and the USA.

The group currently has 26 members across both the US House and Senate. The existing Chair, Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican representing Virginia’s 9th Congressional District, will now be joined by Rep. Doggett as the Democratic Co-Chair.

The Welsh Government has been actively engaging with Congress to foster stronger ties. With the support of the Caucus, it has hosted events promoting Wales’s compound semiconductor cluster and its climate change initiatives during New York Climate Week.

Rep. Doggett, who joined the Caucus in November 2023, has expressed enthusiasm for his new role. He has served in the US House of Representatives since 1995 and currently represents Texas’s 37th Congressional District. Over his tenure, he has been a vocal advocate for environmental protection, healthcare expansion, public education, and social safety net programmes.

On March 12, his congressional district will host the SXSW festival, where FOCUS Wales will showcase Welsh music with support from the Welsh Government.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I am delighted to welcome the first Democratic Co-Chair of the Friends of Wales Caucus, Congressman Lloyd Doggett. I have no doubt that he will be immensely successful alongside Congressman Griffith. I am confident that, through their joint leadership, the Caucus will continue to grow and support the interests of Wales before Congress.”

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