THE North Devon Journal is today throwing its weight behind a campaign to buy a piece of life-saving medical equipment for North Devon District Hospital.

The British Heart Foundation Moving Hearts Appeal is trying to raise £38,000 to buy a machine which every year saves hundreds of people from heart-related diseases.

The machine, known as an echocardiograph (or Echo), can detect heart conditions in patients which might otherwise go undiscovered.

The hospital already has two echo machines. But demand for their use is increasing year-on-year. A third machine is needed to continue saving lives.

Owen Penney, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "We urgently need people like you — individuals, groups and businesses across North Devon and North Cornwall — to get involved and support the Moving Hearts Appeal.

"Donations of time or of money can help us make a real difference to the lives of people, who are living with the pain and burden of heart disease in our local community."

The portable machine x-rays the structure of a patients' heart. This gives instant results about how a person's blood flows, how their heart is pumping and how the valves work.

With this information, rare and fatal conditions can be identified early on.

Medical staff at the cardio-respiratory department are also backing the campaign.

Christine Pope, senior chief cardiac physiologist at the hospital, said: "We have used these machines more and more as time has gone on.

"What we find with each patient can be entirely different, but in hundreds of cases it has proved vital.

"Having a third machine will ensure we can carry on treating people in the right way."

Not only will the machine cater for thousands of patients at North Devon District Hospital, but it will also be used at community hospitals across North Devon and North Cornwall.

This means patients who use hospitals at Ilfracombe, South Molton, Bideford, Torrington and Holsworthy could benefit from the new machine.

One man backing the campaign is Nick Rumsey, a South Molton man whose own life was saved by an echo machine.

He said: "I just hope people realise the importance of this machine. It turns people's lives around. Whether you are young or old, you never know when you will be in a position to need an echo."

People across North Devon have already pledged their time and money to help the cause.

Fundraising events being organised include cycle rides, walks and weight loss challenges, details of which this newspaper will bring you on a regular basis.

The Journal is now calling on its army of readers to back the campaign in any way they can: whether through time, money of just spreading the word.

● Turn to pages 34 and 35 to learn more about the appeal and find out how you can get involved.