A potentially lifesaving donation to Timaru’s Gleniti School is set not only to benefit a pupil but also the wider community.
Thanks to the Embracing Hearts Charitable Trust and the fundraising efforts of Exceed — We Fix Windows and Doors Canterbury and The Heartbox NZ the school was given an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The Embracing Hearts Charitable Trust has given more than 70 AEDs to learning facilities around with country with the aim of getting one in every school that has a pupil born with a congenital heart defect .
Six-year-old Gleniti School pupil Emily Cahill, who was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, was the catalyst for the donation.
The top-of-the line AED is valued at about $4000, is voice automated, self-tests every 24 hours and will be available 24/7.
Gleniti and North Timaru Kāhui Ako lead principal Mark Creba said the school was incredibly grateful for the donation and was glad to be able to make the device accessible to the whole community.
‘‘We’ve been able to make it available to the community by putting it in an external lockbox.
‘‘We ran a mufti day to fund the box, which cost $655.
‘‘So thanks to Emily we’ve been lucky enough to get the AED and then make it available to the whole community, which is pretty cool.
‘‘Any member of the public can access the device and can be fully talked through the process.’’
Emily’s mother, Kirsty Wooffindin, said she was grateful to have the AED close and available.
‘‘It’s perfect to have for Emily. An AED is preferential to CPR.
‘‘So to us to have it here and have that peace of mind but then to be able to not have it sitting in the office just for her but for the whole community is excellent and we can’t thank everyone involved enough.’’
Hato Hone St John EMT Teressa May said having the device available was very beneficial.
‘‘It’s going to be absolutely amazing for our community because you never know when you are going to need them and obviously if there is one close by it increases the chance of survival.
‘‘Ambulances are available but not all the time and in a timely manner, so these are things that are going to save lives.’’
St John will also be providing school staff with training on how to use the new device.
The nearest AED available in the area prior to the installation of this new machine is located at the Southern Trust Events Centre in Morgans Rd and is only available while the stadium is open.
- An AED is a safe and easy-to-use machine used to treat sudden cardiac arrest.
- Sudden cardiac arrest affects around five New Zealanders each day.
- In New Zealand, about 2000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year.
- The use of an AED can increase survival rate by up to 44%. a Only 4% of cardiac arrest patients receive defibrillation by a community responder.
Figures sourced from Heart Saver NZ and Hato Hone St John OHCA National Report 2021-22.
