The life-saving equipment is essential in saving lives. The B.C.’s leading Heart and Stroke Big Bike team has installed an automated external defibrillator (AED) in Abbotsford Exhibition Park.
The “Big Heart Champions” team earned the chance to place the AED via a Big Bike fundraising challenge. The opportunity is considered meaningful for the team members including Dustin Heinrichs since his life was saved by an AED years ago.
Life-saving measures
According to Dustin’s wife, Kristelle, without CPR and quick access to an AED, he would not have survived his sudden cardiac arrest. The life of Dustin was saved when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home. Kristelle called for emergency assistance and delivered CPR. Upon the arrival of the paramedics, an AED was utilized to effectively restore the heartbeat.
Around 45,000 cases of sudden cardiac arrest occurs yearly where most occur at home or in public places.
For each minute that passes without assistance, the chances of a person to survive a cardiac arrest drops by up to 10%.
Enrolling in a CPR course is simple and a good investment. Learning the skill can help save the life of a family member or friend. Once defibrillation is applied along with CPR during the initial few minutes, it drastically improves the chances of survival up to 75% of those suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a class on CPR and AED and for more information, check out these sources:
Mayo Clinic – Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Symptoms and Causes
WebMD – Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Treatment: Insights and Guidelines
WebMD – What Is Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)? Common Questions Answered