Muamba, then aged just 23, was playing for Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur in an FA Cup quarter final match in front of 35,000 fans and watched by millions of TV viewers when his heart stopped and he collapsed to the floor.
Fortunately a defibrillator was on site and this, along with the combined skills of the medical teams on the scene and at hospital saved his life.
Raise awareness
The Mrs Muamba’s range of sauces were launched in northern supermarket chain Booths earlier this week (Wednesday 23) and will help to raise money for the heart rhythm charity Arrhythmia Alliance.
A donation from each pack sold will go to the charity’s ‘Hearts and Goals’ campaign, which aims to make defibrillators available to everyone and raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest.
The charity attended the launch event offering free pulse checks to Booths customers.
This vision is shared by Shauna Muamba, who hopes to have defibrillators in the supermarkets that the Mrs Muamba’s range is stocked in.
“It is fantastic that my range of Caribbean sauces will be available in Booths and that their customers will be able to experience the true flavours of the Caribbean,” she said. “Also importantly a small donation from the sale of every jar will go to the ‘Hearts and Goals’ charity which will help increase accessibility of defibrillators, which will save lives.”
The sauces are available in five varieties; Caribbean Curry, Sweet & Spicy Sauce, Caribbean Brown Stew, Caribbean BBQ Sauce and Jerk Sauce.
The sauces were born following the “life changing” event which made Shauna and Fabrice think about how they could make a difference, Shauna said.
“I grew up in Jamaica and it was here that I fell in love with how food was prepared,” she added. “I’ve picked up my cooking skills and inspiration from family and friends, and from the meals I have prepared over the years for Fabrice’s teammates, and so set up my own Caribbean catering company.
‘Performing well’
“My business was performing well – so I knew people would appreciate having the authentic flavours of the Caribbean in their own home, sauces created in my kitchen without all the artificial ‘nasties’”.
Pete Newton, Booths buyer, said the Mrs Muamba’s range would bring something different to the retailer’s international range.
“We are delighted that 10 of our supermarkets now permanently home a defibrillator and a number of our store staff are trained to use this life saving piece of equipment,” he added.
“The defibrillators are by no means limited to Booths customers but are accessible to the whole community. If we save just one life, it will be an extremely worthwhile investment.”
Sudden cardiac arrest strikes without warning, regardless of age, killing 100,000 people in the UK every year. It requires immediate treatment to keep blood pumping and to restart the heart to prevent brain damage and death, therefore immediate defibrillation is critical.