NEWSLETTER

Dear Parents,

Defibrillator Delivered on 'Heart Smart' Day

During our “Heart Smart Day”, Alexander School was presented with its first ever AED Defibrillator by Guy Leech, former Australian World Surf Lifesaving Champion and current CEO of 'Heart180'.

During the special assembly, our celebrity guest was welcomed to explain the reason why it was important to have this machine and how it could save lives. The unfortunate reality is that in Australia, around 30,000 people suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) each year. Only around 6% of these people survive, because there wasn’t a defibrillator close by – if you can get a defib on the patient in the first three minutes you increase the chance of survival to over 70%!

The students were also educated on the importance of keeping a healthy heart, with exercise and healthy eating habits. They were provided with a complimentary healthy morning tea, lunch and after lunch treat on the day, thanks to the support of our parents and canteen coordinators.

Nearly a year after the passing of my brother Raffi from a SCA, it was humbling and touching to help join the mission of Guy Leech, by helping spread this message in the school community.

"My mission now is to help people become Heart Smart by making sure that we have defibs available, and people are trained in how to use them confidently in the case of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The reality is we can get the defib on the patient in the first 180 Seconds, to give them their best chance of living." G. Leech

While we hope that we will never have the need or use a defibrillator, it is also extremely important to have a safe and resilient school, knowing that in an emergency we are well prepared. At Alexander School, all members of staff are trained to use a defibrillator as part of our annual CPR and First Aid training.