For Rebekah Guy, July will always be a special month. It is the month her husband should have been celebrating his birthday. Instead, two years after his tragic death at the age of just 35, Rebekah and her children chose to honour his memory in a way that reflected the kindness, compassion and community spirit he embodied in his life.
Rebekah explained how this venture came about. “The 30 Acts of Kindness was a team decision! Despite everything, my daughters love to make a point of being kind to others. We wanted to find a meaningful way to celebrate Cymon, and his kindness is something that the children remember him for, so this seemed like a fitting way to honour his memory. I want Arya and Esme to see that even when it feels like the world is against you and you’ve been dealt the worst hand, there is always a space for kindness and community.”
Throughout July, the family undertook 30 Acts of Kindness while raising funds for Rother Responders, the volunteer community first responder charity that was first on the scene when Rebekah made the desperate 999 call after her husband suffered a cardiac arrest. Community first responders provide vital emergency care and life support in the critical minutes before an ambulance arrives.
On Monday at Rye Leisure Centre Rother, Responders turned out in force and welcomed Rebekah and her two young children, Arya and Esme, to unveil the special cabinet that houses the defibrillator at the centre. There are two plaques above the box celebrating the memory of Douglas Hollett who passed away at the sports centre in 2013, and in whose memory the defibrillator was installed, and now Cymon Mitchell Taylor. The money raised by the Rebekah and the children was used to provide the new cabinet.
Image Credits: Kt bruce , Graham Redmayne .