Heart of the Nation is proud to work with Cricket Australia and medical technology company, Stryker, to help community cricket teams get access to life saving AED's.
Working Together to Make Community Cricket Safer
The Community Heart Program is being run by Cricket Australia together with medical technology company, Stryker. The aim is to provide cricket teams all over Australia with a platform to easily manage fundraising for potentially life-saving AED's that can be used in conjunction with CPR as part of the Chain of Survival to attempt resuscitation of someone who is in cardiac arrest. Heart of the Nation has been selected by Cricket Australia as the charitable initiative to operate the fundraising component of the campaign, under the auspices of Cricket Australia. Funds raised by your team or club will enable Heart of the Nation to purchase the AED package for your team, as well as continue the great work that Heart of the Nation is undertaking to educate the community about the Chain of Survival which can help save lives when someone is in cardiac arrest.
With Sudden Cardiac Arrest happening suddenly, and without warning, it is vitally important that communities are prepared to save a life. Providing access to this fundraising platform for cricket teams everywhere will help in reducing the impact of Sudden Cardiac Death in the community.
Find out more by reading the information below, or watching the videos. Sign your club up today, and start fundraising so you can give your team the best chance of surviving by having all the links in the Chain of Survival available.
29 Year-Old Sunshine Coast Cricketer collapses at training - saved by team mates.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone in cricket, not just the "typical" suspect. Alecz Day was a fit, young and healthy 29 year-old cricketer, who at training one afternoon in January 2020, without any warning, collapsed to the ground and went into cardiac arrest.
It is so important that team mates are prepared to respond with CPR and an AED if this occurs.
Alecz Day - Case Study
What is an AED and Why Do We Need Them?
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a small, portable machine designed to restore a normal, functioning heartbeat in people who have experienced a cardiac arrest. They were once only used in hospitals and ambulances, but studies have found that many, many more lives are saved if people used them in the community, as close as possible to the moment a cardiac arrest happens. With that end in mind, AEDs are deliberately designed to be easy to use (even with no training) and completely safe for both the user and the person who has had the cardiac arrest.
There are many reasons why a person’s heart suddenly stops working. In Australia, of the over 20,000 people who have a cardiac arrest every year, around 70% do so as a result of having a diseased heart – and these are just some of the people that can potentially be saved by immediate CPR and the early use of an AED to reset their heart rhythm. However, it is often too late by the time an ambulance arrives. The greatest chance of survival is when someone nearby starts CPR and uses an AED.
The graph below shows us that, for adults in Victoria who had a cardiac arrest that could be treated by an AED (a ‘shockable’ arrest), 26% survived if they were defibrillated by paramedics and 64% survived if CPR and an AED were applied by someone in the community. This is the same in all Australian states.
This means that more than 7,000 Australians are dying every year that could potentially be saved – and we could save many, many more.
We need as many people as possible to be able to recognise that someone has had a cardiac arrest, be willing to start CPR and to use an AED.
And importantly, we need more AEDs available as widely as possible, including all sports venues and fields. The life you save may well be that of your teammate, your friend, or someone in your family.
Survival according to who shocked first in the Ambulance Victoria treated population with a shockable rhythm on or before EMS arrival, 2017-2018. (https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/VACAR-Annual-Report-2017-2018-v22.pdf)
What Can You Do For Your Club?
We need AED's at every match that is played so that we can ensure that everyone playing in, as well as attending the game have the best chance possible of surviving a cardiac arrest. Remember, it may be too late by the time the paramedics arrive.
We are advocating for EVERY TEAM to have an AED so that there is no doubt that there is at least one AED available at each match that is played. It is like an insurance policy - it is a cost upfront, and you hope you never have to use it, but if you do need to use it, then you know you have done ALL YOU CAN.
We also know that everyone in your team needs to feel confident and capable of providing CPR and using an AED.
What is Being Offered in the AED Package?
We have worked together with medical technology company, Stryker (the manufacturer of the device), and Defibrillators Australia, to come up with an AED package that is simple to use and can be taken with your team to every match.
The package consists of:
1 x HeartSine Samaritan 360P Automatic AED
1 x yellow, weatherproof portable carry case
1 x patient prep-kit
15 x online e-learning AED courses.
* Laptop is not included
Even though this package includes courses on how to use your AED, please make sure that teammates all know that you do not need to be trained in how to use an AED in
order to use one. The AED uses a combination of simple voice and visual prompts, you will be guided through all you need to do.
Remember - you can’t cause any harm to someone with an AED, they will only deliver a shock to someone who needs it. And you may well save a life. The package cost is $1,750. Spread over the lifetime of the warranty of the device, (8 years) that is less than $220 per year. Spread across each team (say, 12 players) that is less than $18 per player, per year! It doesn't cost much to have what is needed to potentially save a life!
How to Start Fundraising
Get started today, by going to Community Heart Program and registering your club, or find your club's fundraising page to contribute to. Determine how many AED's you want to start fundraising for - one per team, one or more for the club - it's up to you, but we would love to see each team with an AED at every match - how you achieve that is up to you!