A Saint-Lazare couple whose son was saved by a defibrillator hopes to do the same for others by donating a device that is accessible to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to a city park, the first device of its kind in Quebec.
In November 2019, Rose Bloom’s 15-year-old son Jacob suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while playing hockey. She said he wouldn’t have survived if it hadn’t been for someone on the scene who knew CPR and, most importantly, had access to an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“We felt so lucky to have had the chance to have the stars aligned,” she said in an interview with CBC. Dawn.
Following the incident, Bloom wanted others to be able to rely on more than chance if faced with the same life-threatening situation.
It was then that Bloom and her husband, Rodney Dawes, began to learn about sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of AEDs. The couple came across a Canadian company called Save Station, which sells devices that can be installed indoors and outdoors.
They decided to pay it forward by buying one and donating it to Westwood Park in their town.
“Obviously we hope it never needs to be used, but if anyone is in need, at least it’s there and it’s accessible 24/7,” said Bloom.
How it works
Contained in a heated and ventilated cabinet located outside the main park building, the defibrillator is accessible to the public at all times throughout the year.
As soon as the cabinet door is opened, an alarm is triggered and the nearest fire station is alerted using a GPS. A second alarm sounds once the machine is in use, instructing first responders to get to the site of the medical emergency as soon as possible.
However, first responders may not always arrive on time, which is why having the AED on hand is so important, Bloom said.
“If someone is unlucky enough to have a sudden cardiac arrest, what they absolutely need to survive is CPR and an AED – and the AED dramatically increases the survival rate,” she said. declared.
The machine is safe to use and does not require any training, as the cabinet contains step-by-step instructions in French and English.
“Obviously”, says the mayor of Saint-Lazare
Saint-Lazare Mayor Geneviève Lachance said when she received the request from Bloom and her husband to have the device installed in the city, “it was a no-brainer that it had to happen.”
She said the park was the perfect place to house the machine as it is located right next to a high school and is used by several sports associations including football, soccer and athletics.
“The the safety of our residents and young people using the facilities is very important,” she said. “We know that quick response is crucial in these cases, so it’s a really good tool to have in an emergency.”
Lachance said she was looking to see where the device could be installed in Saint-Lazare.
For Bloom, she hopes that other municipalities, organizations and businesses across Quebec will begin to consider equipping their facilities with the device. She hopes her story can inspire change.
“That’s how we were going to try to give back…and we’re very happy that it makes our community a lot safer,” she said.
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