Jamie Rees was 18 when he went into cardiac arrest on New Year's Day 2022. A defibrillator was locked behind a school door. We're his family - and we're making sure no one else has to go through it.
Jay · JJ · OurJay
Jamie (or Jay, JJ, OurJay) was born on 25th November 2003. He was a cheeky little boy who lit up every single room he ever entered from that 1st day. Jamie had the most beaming smile and the biggest beautiful brown eyes.
Jamie was very clever and unbelievably funny. He could make you laugh just with a look, he didn't even have to say anything and he could draw a smile. Jamie was never sad, he was a happy little boy, who was so content with his family, his beloved pets and his hobbies.
Jamie adored his family, he loved his mum and dad so much, but his biggest inspiration was his big brother, Callum. He desperately wanted to be like Callum, he would dress like him, talk like him and ask his opinion on absolutely any decisions he had to make. Jamie also loved both his nans dearly, he had the most precious relationship with them both. Jamie's 'Chrissie nan' is now taking care of him in the stars and we know they'll be chatting non stop and putting the world to rights, but having a good giggle doing it!
Jay loved his little sister Myla very much as well, they had a very special bond.
There are so many other family members that played such a big part in Jamie's life, his grandparents, his aunties and uncles, his cousins and his mates, all gave Jamie so much joy and every single one of them would give anything to have him beside us again.
All of Jamie's family worshipped the ground he walked on, he was always just the loveliest, kindest boy and his family meant the world to him, just like he meant the world to all of them.
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Jamie's Law would make it mandatory for every police vehicle in the UK to carry a defibrillator. Today only armed-response cars do.
A short film about Jamie, and the family who started OurJay in his name. What happened on the day itself is just below.
What follows is the timeline of New Year's Day 2022. We share it because the gaps in it - the locked cabinet, the missing kit, the minutes lost - are the gaps we now spend our lives closing.
Age 18. Out with friends on New Year's Day. A sudden cardiac arrest. His friends start CPR.
A defibrillator is on a nearby school site, but it cannot be reached. The clock keeps running.
An officer reaches Jamie first. Police vehicles do not carry AEDs as standard. CPR continues; chest compressions alone cannot restart the heart.
Paramedics arrive with a defibrillator and restart his heart, but his brain has been without oxygen for too long. Through organ donation, Jamie's legacy goes on to save five lives, including an eight-month-old baby.
Naomi and family register the foundation as a UK charity (number 1200846) to put defibrillators on walls.
From that day on
Not another family. Not another minute lost.
OurJay Foundation raises awareness of the importance of having 24/7 publicly accessible defibrillators, secures the funding to install them, and trains the people around them. We work with councils, schools, businesses and community groups across the UK.
Every pound funds a defibrillator cabinet, a bleed kit, a CPR class, or a sign on a wall that helps a stranger save a life.
We push for CPR and AED awareness in every school, every workplace, every council across the UK - because the kit on the wall is only useful if people know what to do.
Hands-only CPR. Confident defib use. Bleed control basics. Sessions for communities, schools and businesses so the response is ready before the emergency.
We fund and install public access defibrillators and bleed control kits - the equipment that turns a bystander into a first responder.
A defibrillator delivers an electric shock to a heart in cardiac arrest. Get one on the chest fast enough and survival jumps from 6% to over 70%.
A serious bleed can be fatal in under five minutes. Bleed kits put tourniquets and trauma dressings in the hands of bystanders - the people who are always there first.
Every minute defibrillation is delayed reduces survival by roughly 10% (Resuscitation Council UK).
Hands-only chest compressions keep the brain alive.
The shock that restarts the heart - the kit we install.
Paramedics take over. The patient gets a chance.
Around 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in the UK each year (British Heart Foundation). With CPR and a defibrillator applied within minutes, survival jumps from single digits to more than half. We're building a UK where the kit is never the bottleneck.
Publicly accessible AEDs
installed and live on the OurJay map
Lives saved so far
by an OurJay AED or a bleed kit in an OurJay cabinet
Raised by the family
since New Year's Day 2022
Warwickshire Police vehicles equipped
with iPAD AEDs via Home Office funding - #JamiesLaw in action
Sources: British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK, OurJay Foundation records.
From a £1,500 fundraiser to a British Empire Medal in four years. The awards belong to Jamie - they're the public's way of recognising what he started, and what his family refuses to let go of.
Awarded to Naomi Rees-Issitt in the King's New Year's Honours List. The letter arrived on Jamie's birthday, 25 November.
OurJay Foundation is a UK registered charity - every donation is auditable, every penny accounted for.
Every trustee is a member of Jamie's family. No executives, no offices, no salaries - just the family who decided to turn a worst day into a national mission.
Trustee
Callum, aka bro. Always Jamie's biggest inspiration and his number 1. Jamie just wanted to be exactly what his big brother is, he looked up to him for everything. Callum is supporting the Foundation with ideas, raising funds and designing training tools. Callum also plays a big part in OurJays social media.
Trustee
Defibrillator Maintenance Manager Jem is Jamies Stepdad and mate. Jamie was our third wheel and you'd often find Jamie wherever Jem was working, lending a hand or acting as supervisor! Jamie shared Jem's love of travel and they agreed that the best place on earth is New York. Jem spends a huge amount of his time volunteering for OurJay, servicing defibrillators, organising events, delivering and collecting defibrillators and sorting out merchandise. Jems passion is OurJay, missing Jamie makes things so hard, but doing events for his foundation, keeps Jem going. Jem has played a big part in organising OurJays Festival Fun Day 2024, sorting out all of the street food vendors and the craft stalls, as well as supporting with the charity football match. It's quite simple...OurJay would not function without Jem!
Secretary · Trustee
Tracey, aka Aunty Trace. Jamie's godmother who protected him so much when he was here and still works so hard to keep his memory in everyone’s minds always now. Loved a cuppa tea with Jay. Tracey supports with Foundation ideas and promotion, continuing with event arrangements and organising as the Foundation grows. A big fan of the OurJays entertainment nights. Tracey has been working on a number of projects, including managing the installation of defibrillators across Northampton. Tracey has managed to get an accessible defibrillator at The Royal & Derngate theatre and has an upcoming installation at The RoadMender very soon. Another huge passion of Tracey's is live music, she shared this passion with Jamie. Tracey spends a lot of time going around venues and talking about Jamie and his foundation. Another big project Tracey is working on has had it's first Defib installation on 20th May 2024. Tracey is working alongside Admirals Tavern brewery in making a large number of their pubs more heart safe, this started with a new accessible defibrillator at The Ashby Tavern, Hinckley. If any entertainment venues (large or small) would like to chat further about an accessible defibrillator, please contact Tracey at Tracey@ourjay.org.uk
Chair · Trustee
Naomi, aka Mum. Jamie's mum. Jamie and Callum are her whole world and the OurJay Foundation is her way of continuing to take care of Jamie in the only way possible. Jamie is her only hero and inspiration in life now.
Trustee
Xavana, aka Aunty Vanna (along with her husband Ben and her sons Cooper and Chester). She was always Jamie's 'go to' if his mum and dad weren't around. Xavana and Jamie held a very special bond from the day he was born. Xavana is supporting the foundation with events, ideas and the ongoing sale of OurJays merchandise, some of which has also been created by her, including the J22 branded OurJay Wax Melts in many scents. Xavana and her family have now organised and installed 9 accessible defibrillators in their home town of Crewe, as well as a pitch side defibrillator at Coopers Grassroots football club. Xavana also has a handheld one use Defib for her own community. Cooper is the youngest OurJay volunteer and he takes this responsibility very seriously. Cooper services defibrillators himself and has also taken part in the CPR awareness events. Cooper is the future of OurJay, so he is always keen to learn the ropes and raise awareness of his cousins foundation. Xavana, Ben, Cooper and Chester miss Jamie very much and are always proud to support at as many events as they can...they all look forward to OurJays Festival Fun Day! This years event 22nd June, Newbold Rugby Club, Rugby
Whether you've got £5, a community hall, or a Saturday morning to spare - there's a way you can keep the next person alive.
£75 funds a CPR information session. £1,200 puts a community-accessible defibrillator on a wall.
Run a marathon. Bake a cake. Host a quiz. We'll send a fundraising pack and cheer you on.
Got a wall? A shopfront, school, pub or village hall? We'll fund and fit the kit.
Help your team build confidence in life-saving skills. CPR and AED sessions for community groups, schools and small businesses in our network.
Every defib we put on a wall, and every police vehicle we equip, is part-funded by businesses who chose to put their name behind Jamie's. Thank you to the partners below.
The Killerz
The UK's No.1 tribute to The Killers
Molly Gone Mad
Charity ambassador
Courthouse Band
Live music partner
JRP Electrical Services
Defib installations
Top Marks Electrical
Defib installations
Netix Digital
Digital partner
Star Self Store
Rugby storage partner
Not Just Travel
Travel fundraising partner
Mark Hurst Photography
Event photography
The Kitchens Inc
Warwickshire ambassador
ACJ Financial Planning
Financial planning partner
Ellis Brooke Estate Agents
Local estate agency partner
Rugby Distillery
Crafted in the fields of Rugby
iD.Genie
Print, signage & promotional
Want to put your business name on the next defib? Get in touch and we'll match you with a community that needs one.
Defibs going up, families saying thank you, officers picking up the kit. Follow along for the day-to-day of the campaign.
Two officers, two AEDs, one mission. #JamiesLaw rolling out.
Where it all started. The Ashlawn School defib in Jamie's name.
The kit going into West Midlands Police vehicles.
Naomi telling Jamie's story - and how he saved five lives.
Warwickshire Police: 28 vehicles equipped via Home Office funding.
A defib on a wall, ready 24/7. This is what your fundraising buys.
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