Student saves a life on stage with AED
One day in April, 16-year-old Annie was at a jamboree in Busby, Alberta, with her grandfather. She attended many community events with him over the years, but this one would be different.
Singing an Olivia Newton-John song on stage in the Busby Community Hall, Annie had no idea that moments later she would help save someone’s life using the CPR and AED skills she learned in school.
John, 76, took the stage soon after and started singing, when suddenly, he collapsed.
“Everyone was screaming for a doctor,” says Annie, who called 911.
The owner of the community hall brought the AED and Annie applied the pads, following the machine’s instructions. The AED assessed that John was in cardiac arrest and advised three shocks. Between shocks, a bystander provided CPR before another bystander stepped in with Annie’s guidance. Firefighters arrived and took over, with an ambulance then transporting John to Westlock Healthcare Centre.
The same day, he was transferred to Royal Alexandra Hospital, where he underwent successful surgery for the insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) before being sent home 10 days later. He was told the cardiac arrest was caused by damage from a heart attack he had 25 years prior.
John is forever grateful for Annie’s quick response.
“She took charge,” he says. “I think pretty highly of her. My whole family is very thankful. She’s a special girl to us now.”
It was an amazing experience to be able to save someone’s life like that. — Annie
Annie adding how important it is for schools to have CPR and AED training for students. “You never know what’s going to happen, and it’s better to be prepared.”
John agrees, believing he was in the right place at the right time.
The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation is the award-winning, national, charitable organization establishing free CPR and AED training programs in high schools across Canada. ACT raises funds to donate mannequins and teacher training to schools, and guides schools in program set-up and long-term sustainability. To date, nearly 6 million youth have been trained in CPR by their teachers through this lifesaving program.