Finding a life PAD

One family in Barrie will have an extra special holiday season this December, thanks to the County of Simcoe's public access defibrillator program.

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services responded to a call Thursday morning for assistance at the East Bayfield Community Centre in Barrie. A man suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed in the swimming pool change room. A bystander began CPR and alerted lifeguard staff who called 911. A newly installed county defibrillator was then successfully utilized by the lifeguards to shock the man's heart. The patient regained a heart beat and started breathing on his own.

"We are very happy that this patient has survived his ordeal and credit is owed to those who stepped in to render aid - performing CPR and utilizing the defibrillator," said Andrew Robert, director and chief of Paramedic Services for the county. "Paramedic Services is very pleased that our efforts to build this successful program have saved this man's life - a testament to the value of training people and placing defibrillators in public places.

"We are ecstatic that the Heart and Stroke Foundation, through the Chase McEachern Tribute Fund, was able to play a significant part in this most recent cardiac save," says Rocco Rossi, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

County paramedic arrived at the community centre and took over treatment of the patient. The patient was transported to Royal Victoria Hospital and then immediately transported to South Lake Regional Health Centre for emergency cardiac surgery.

"Our son Chase had a dream of seeing more defibrillators available in more public places to save more lives," said John McEachern, Chase's father.

An advocate for AEDs at arenas and schools, Chase died two years ago due to complications from cardiac arrest.

Over 60 defibrillator are part of the county's defibrillation program and this AED was the first among 54 that were placed in Simcoe County through the assistance of the Heart and Stroke Foundation's tribute fund.

This occurrence marks the first use of a defibrillator under this program. The county program helps to facilitate the placement of these defibrillators and has trained 763 members of the public in the use of automated external defibrillators in conjunction with CPR training.