Source: Our Lakes Publication, May 2021 (pages 30-32)
Creating a Cardiac Safe Waterfront Neighbourhood
On Feb. 5, the anniversary of Randy Boyle’s passing, his widow Sharon woke to the news that not only was his memorial SaveStation crowdfunding campaign fully funded – they had doubled the original target with no signs of slowing down.
The communities of Barrie and Midhurst rallied behind the Boyle family and their campaign to install an outdoor Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in honour of a beloved husband and father who was lost too soon to a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Fast forward to now, just a few months later, and at more than four times the original amount raised to date through the campaign, Sharon is planning a second outdoor SaveStation AED installation with the help of Action First Aid.
Sadly, losing a loved one is sometimes what it takes for someone to recognize the importance of having timely access to an AED, explained Action’s Partnership Manager Katrysha Gellis. It is her job to help educate communities, organizations and individuals about the importance of 24/7 publicly accessible AEDs. She and Action’s team of AED experts help identify the most appropriate defibrillators and housing options for outdoor placements and can deliver training programs that help people feel confident and prepared to step in and take action during an emergency. They even help create and host fundraising campaigns through their online SaveStation crowdfunding platform to help rally your friends and neighbours to the cause.
To learn more about this option, visit https://crowdfunding.savestation.ca/ online or view some of the many educational video resources that are available for anyone to watch and share at: https://savestation.ca/videos/.
“Especially when we think of cottage neighbourhoods, down a long, windy gravel road or on an island for example, they are oftentimes quite remote, even when there is a good road, it can take a long time for first responders to arrive.” she said. “For every minute that goes by after SCA strikes, the chances of survival decrease by 10% and brain damage can start to set in after just about four minutes, so every second matters – it is critical to start chest compressions right away to keep blood flowing to the person’s organs and use an AED as soon as possible to deliver a life-saving shock to their heart to give that person the greatest chance of survival.”
