In May 2021, New Sunrise announced its partnership with Heart of the Nation, joining the chain of survival by funding the placement of 400 life-saving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) across its vast independent network throughout Australia.
Greg Page, the ‘original yellow Wiggle’, founder of Heart of the Nation and survivor of sudden cardiac arrest joined New Sunrise’s 13th Iceworks conference held on 9-13 May in Darwin to provide an update on Heart of the Nation’s initiatives over the last 12 months.
Mr Page spoke about the importance of not only having AEDs available in highly accessible locations but also creating awareness among communities to help increase the chance of survival for a person suffering cardiac arrest from 10% to 70%. He also informed delegates of the recently launched Heart of the Nation app.
The Heart of the Nation app allows users to call 000 and send out an alert to registered responders in the area at the easy press of a button. The app will then guide those responders to the nearest AED for them to collect and deliver to the scene so those on the ground can continue CPR.
“The hope is the AED arrives much quicker than the ambulance does because ambulance response times are protracted in most parts of Australia, and when you get an AED on somebody within the first three to five minutes the chance of surviving skyrockets,” Mr Page said.
Mr Page then invited former Australian cricketer and fast bowler Brett Lee to join him on stage.
The Australian cricketing icon recounted his personal experiences of being a first responder for the great late Australian cricketer, Dean Jones. Mr Lee gave a moving talk about the events that transpired that day and reinforced the importance of having an AED readily available.
Mr Page concluded by thanking New Sunrise and its members for the positive contribution they make to the chain of survival in their local communities through providing millions of Australians access to lifesaving AEDs through its vast network of sites.
