Defib For Life are happy to read of yet another save thanks to the quick thinking actions of a gym owner and the use of an Automatic External Defibrillator.
A young and fit 21-year-old Sunshine Coast woman is lucky to be alive after going into Sudden Cardiac Arrest after a seizure whilst using the rowing machine at her local gym.
A fellow gym member started CPR, whilst the gyms owner Mr Aaron Petterson rushed to get the gyms defibrillator.
“You learn how to use those things in your first aid course, but you never really use it,” he said.
He said even though he was in shock, the defibrillator was so simple to use that he knew exactly what to do.
“I pressed the shock button and her body sort of jumped off the ground like it was in the movies,” he said.
With the defibrillator and CPR, they were able to get Emily’s heart going again before paramedics arrived.
“Thank God. That thing is just absolutely brilliant and was able to save her life in the end,” Mr Petterson said.
Mr Petterson said the entire ICU team were commenting on how well the CPR process was done, the speed of 000 call, removal of obstacles, compression, stability of the head and correct use of the defibrillator.
The gym was required to have a defibrillator under its terms and conditions and now this lucky young lady wants to see defibrillators in every single gym.
“If I had of had it [at my old gym] then I probably wouldn’t be alive,” she said.
“It saved my life and it will definitely save someone else’s.”
Mr Petterson was extremely thankful he had one handy and wanted them to be placed not just in gyms, but in all businesses.
“We really need to start getting these out everywhere, because they’re even quite affordable these days,” he said.
“It’s literally life and death.”