Generous donation to help Gisborne residents restart a heart
October 29, 2024in Community News, Shocktober 2024
A new publicly accessible automated external defibrillator (AED) will help Gisborne residents take life-saving action in the case of a cardiac arrest in town.
A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body and AEDs are automated devices used to attempt to shock the patient’s heart back into normal function.
Gisborne’s new AED is located at the town’s ambulance branch (49 Robertson Street, Gisborne) and is available 24/7.
(L-R) AV Gisborne Team Manager Horace Vella, Gisborne Auxiliary’s Tricia Kaye, Braeden Strahan, Jonathon Wieckourski and AV Macedon Ranges Senior Team Manager Tim Fraser.
Ambulance Victoria (AV) Macedon Ranges Senior Team Manager Tim Fraser said the device will make a big impact.
“Every day, around 21 Victorians will suffer a cardiac arrest but only one in 10 survive,” he said.
“We know that bystander intervention has the greatest impact on improving someone’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.
“When a patient receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles.
“This new AED will help locals in Gisborne respond and save lives when there’s a medical emergency in town.”
The new AED was generously donated by two community members, Braeden Strahan and Jonathon Wieckourski, who raised money after losing their friend Scott Newell to a cardiac arrest one year ago.
The device was installed during AV’s Shocktober campaign, which is a month-long cardiac arrest awareness campaign aimed at teaching Victorians how to perform CPR and use an AED.
“This Shocktober we’re teaching Victorians that you don’t have to be a paramedic to save a life,” Tim said.
“Anyone can by following three simple steps: Call (call Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR by pushing hard and fast on the middle of the chest) and Shock (use an AED).”
Shocktober also calls on Victorians to sign up to the GoodSAM app and Tim said Gisborne residents should consider stepping up for their community.
In 2023, a local GoodSAM responder helped saved the life of a Gisborne father of three.
“GoodSAM is a life-saving smartphone app that connects Victorians in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive,” Tim said.
“You don’t have to be first-aid qualified or have a medical background to sign up – you just need to be willing and able to do hands-only CPR, be over 18 years of age and have access to a smartphone.
“There are currently more than 16,000 GoodSAM responders across the state, but we need more.”
Shocktober is a month-long campaign to highlight the importance of learning CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).