Saving lives will be a fitting legacy following tragic loss of Luton student

The death of a student after she went into cardiac arrest is a stark reminder of just how fragile life can be.

Six months on from that tragedy and Luton Sixth Form College has launched a first aid training scheme in honour of Alia Bint Rizwan.

On Monday (February 28), the college in partnership with national charity, The British Heart Foundation, began the biggest CPR training scheme ever offered by a sixth form provision in the country.

As a consequence the college will be pushing out over 1,000 young people every year into the Luton community, who will have the life skills to put someone into the recovery position, how to give hands-only CPR and how to use a public access defibrillator.

Marc Hulbert, Director of Progress and Achievement, who is leading on this initiative said: “We are very excited and are all looking forward to seeing our students thrive.

“But we are also mindful that this initiative was born out of tragedy. In October 2021, we sadly lost one of our own amazing students.

“Alia Bint Rizwan was a first-year student with her whole life ahead of her.

“Unfortunately, Alia had a condition called myocarditis: a condition which enlarges the heart muscle as a result of something as simple as picking up a virus.

“That happened to Alia, causing her to go into cardiac arrest. When she died, she had not long turned 17.

“This brought home to us all just how fragile life can be and how important it is to know a few basic life-saving skills.”

With the blessing of Alia’s incredibly brave friends and family, the college has teamed up with the British Heart Foundation to give those basic skills and that confidence to get involved.

Altaf Hussain, Principal and CEO at the college, added: “Going forwards, every year, thousands of our students will leave the college with a few extra skills – skills that one day could genuinely save someone’s life.

“What more fitting legacy could there be to Alia than for another human life to be saved.”

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