Why AEDs are so important – A real life-saving story with Greg Page

Updated On June 2nd, 2022By Dynamoney

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) doesn’t always pick the most obvious victim. Realistically anyone could fall victim to a cardiac arrest. It doesn’t matter how young and fit they may seem, SCA can strike anyone, anywhere, any time. This is why Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are so important.

When someone goes into cardiac arrest, time is of the essence, and Greg Page, the original Yellow Wiggle, knows this firsthand. When Greg suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest last year, he was one of the lucky ones who survived.

Why? Because the people around him knew exactly what to do to save his life – that was to call 000, start CPR immediately, and use an AED. Greg now knows just how crucial early action and the use of AEDs is when it comes to someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

He wants everyone to have a fighting chance just like he did, and the best way for others to have that chance is to inform other businesses of the need for AEDs.

Automated External Defibrillators are a vital link in the Chain of Survival and the more of them that are out in the community and in workplaces, the more lives that will be saved, just like Greg’s was. Defibrillation allows the heart to be restarted if it can be, which means it will continue to beat on its own without the need for CPR to continue.

Greg was lucky that the people around him knew exactly what to do in that situation, but not everyone is that lucky. This is why he wants to get the message out to other businesses, that it is crucial to have access to an AED.

Studies have shown that the sooner defibrillation can occur after Sudden Cardiac Arrest, the higher chance that person has of surviving and surviving with less damage to their brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. This is important not just for the patient’s quality of life after cardiac arrest, but it also helps to reduce health costs to the community.

If your business doesn’t have rapid access to an AED, where are you going to get one if sudden cardiac arrest occurs? Ambulance response times on average are between 8-12 minutes, sometimes longer.

So, if you are relying on the paramedics to deliver a possible lifesaving shock, it might be too late. It doesn’t have to be that way; you can empower your business and your staff with the tools they need to save a life.

Yellow Wiggle Greg Page stars in Heart Foundation’s ‘Hand on Heart’ national campaign https://t.co/E6StKqIX98 pic.twitter.com/SBNxbQWJfu

— Newsmaker (@NewsMaker) August 28, 2020

For a lot of small businesses, the cost of purchasing an AED is a barrier to their access to this life-saving piece of equipment. That’s why a financing option may suit some SMEs, instead of an outright purchase.

Just as you purchase insurance hoping you’ll never need to use it; the same thought process surrounds AEDs. You hope you never need to use it, but if you do, then you’ll be glad you had it on hand at the time – somebody’s life may depend on it, and it could easily be mine or yours, just like it was Greg’s.

If someone does go into cardiac arrest and you don’t have access to the final link in the chain of survival, an AED is that one link that might make all the difference.

Every single business should seriously consider purchasing an AED so that you can be prepared for the unexpected and do all you possibly can to plan for sudden cardiac arrest.  An investment in an AED is an investment in the potential to save a life.