Service of humanity starts at home for St John WA’s social media superstar

St John WA social media guru Abbey Dunne has taken the organisation’s dedication to the service of humanity to heart by raising money to help support the community.

With an initial goal of raising $1000 to support the Community First Responder Network, Abbey was thrilled to more than double that amount, enabling her to buy a defibrillator and cabinet she will donate to an area in need.

By running a good old-fashioned bake sale back in December, Abbey raised $2130.

She turned 10 kilos of flour, eight kilos of chocolate, seven kilos of sugar, and five kilos of butter into a mountain of muffins, truffles, fudge, and bagels which were readily snapped up by hungry colleagues.

The mammoth baking effort kept Abbey busy, with many hours spent preparing and packing the sweet treats.

“At six-and-a-half months pregnant, I stayed up baking through the night to raise funds for defibs,” she said.

“During my time working at St John WA, I’ve heard countless stories of survival thanks to the use of a community defibrillator, and I couldn’t help but think we need more out there so more people are back enjoying life with their families.”

Abbey’s charitable efforts didn’t end with the baked goods, though.

She also cut more than 30 centimetres of her previously long hair off to donate to Wigs4Kids, which was something she had wanted to do for the past few years.

“My hair is my favourite feature of myself, so being able to give a part of me that I treasure to a child who is going through something so unimaginable is humbling,” Abbey said.

The Community First Responder and St John Giving teams are now helping Abbey narrow down locations for the defibrillator and cabinet to be placed, ensuring it goes somewhere in a WA community that will make the most impact.

“Working for St John WA has made me realise just how important defibrillators are for the community,” she said.

“Being able to contribute to the network is an amazing feeling knowing that device could save a life.”

The Community First Responder network enables St John WA to send for help before an ambulance arrives.

Find out how it works HERE.