‘This makes our work so worthwhile and we know Ricky has not died in vain.’

Bereaved mum Sue Hedges from the Ricky Hayden Memorial shares her thoughts on the bleed kit she donated used to save a teenager’s life.

On Tuesday a teenager was stabbed on Ardleigh Green Road. He made his way with the help of his friends, to his college nearby where fast thinking staff rushed in to save his life.

The staff at New a city College were able to use the Daniel Baird bleed kit donated by the Ricky Hayden Memorial to save the teenager’s life.

It was bereaved mum Sue, mother of Ricky who had donated this bleed kit to the Hornchurch college. Sue has dedicated her life to battling the horrors of knife crime and donating as many of these life saving bleed kits as she possibly can.

She told the Havering Daily: “It is a very emotional day for us. We have shed lots of tears knowing that the bleed bag we have donated in Ricky’s memory has saved the life of a teenager.

“We are sad that it has had to be used, but relieved that it has saved the life of another teenager.

“Myself and my daughter April travel all across London to donate these bleed kits in the hope that they will save a life. We really do not want anyone else to suffer the pain we go through.

“Part of ourselves died the day our Ricky died. We will never recover from that pain. It doesn’t get easier, it gets harder and harder and saving a life like we have, makes everything seem so worthwhile. We know Ricky has not died in vain.”

Sue is tired from the lack of support parents and anti knife crime campaigners receive from authorities.

“It is the communities that support us and local businesses. It should be the government that steps in and addresses this issue but they don’t and the Mayor of London doesn’t either. Knife crime needs urgent addressing and it needs a community wide approach, not just throwing a bit of money here and there.

“So much needs to be done and sadly nothing is being down and everyday teenagers are being stabbed on our streets.

“To know my bleed kit has saved a life makes everything worthwhile. My Ricky’s memory lives on. Well done to the staff at the college for their quick thinking that saved the student’s life.”

The Daniel Baird bleed bags are London Ambulance approved and life saving tools for catastrophic bleeding.

Sue Hedges with Ian Budge from New City College.

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