Mikey Roynon: Family funds bleed kits in memory of stabbed teen
- Published
The family of a teenage boy who died in a stabbing is raising money for bleed control kits to help save the lives of others.
Mikey Roynon, 16, from Kingswood in South Gloucestershire, died from a single stab wound in Bath on 10 June.
His family set up the charity Mikey's World in his name and used donations to buy 30 of the life-saving kits.
They want to install them in pubs and clubs, and get them adopted by the ambulance service.
The kits contain emergency dressings and tourniquets to stop catastrophic bleeding.
In other parts of the UK ambulance trusts register where the bleed kits are kept, but currently South West Ambulance Service does not and Mikey's family want this to change.
Mikey's mum, Hayley Ryall, told BBC West that she visits her son's grave everyday. She said it helps her to be with him.
"He was lively, lots of fun, completely fearless, very loved by everybody especially me," she said.
Mikey was just days from finishing his GCSE exams when he went to a house party on the outskirts of Bath and was fatally stabbed.
"I had 27 missed calls. I knew something was wrong,'' his mum said.
"I was told, but I didn't believe it, the whole world turned upside down."
Two months later when Mikey's GCSE results came out, Miss Ryall opened them by his grave.
"We are so proud of him - I wish I could tell him,'' she said.
"He got much higher than he thought he was going to. He wouldn't have believed it if he'd seen his results."
"These bleed kits can help save lives," said Ms Ryall.
"If an ambulance can't get there that quickly and someone's got one of these bleed kits to hand... it can save them."
Two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged with Mikey's murder.
A spokesperson for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: "When someone is bleeding heavily, phoning 999 immediately and trying to stop the bleed is essential to help save their life.
"Knowing basic first aid can often make a big difference in the moments before an ambulance arrives on scene, and we would encourage everyone to learn these vital skills.
"Our 999 call takers are trained to provide immediate advice and support to callers so they can administer first aid before medical help arrives."
The spokesperson said it was currently working with other UK ambulance services and police forces to ensure bleed kits "best meet the needs" of patients.
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- Published20 September 2023