Cardiac arrest survivor supports Restart a Heart Day message

A family picnic along the Swan River took a turn for the worst when Mark Donovan suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in January this year.

Mark’s family and first aid-trained bystanders sprang into action and performed CPR until nearby Water Police were signalled for help and administered an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).

The rapid response to Mark’s cardiac arrest demonstrates the time-sensitivity involved in following the Chain of Survival.

Call, push, and shock is the chain of events that must occur in rapid succession to maximise the chances of survival from cardiac arrest.

Without intervention, the damage caused by cardiac arrest after 10 short minutes is nearly irreversible, with only 1 in 10 people surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Fortunately, Mark defied the odds and survived his near-death experience thanks to life-saving CPR. 

Mark’s story is one example of why Restart a Heart Day and CPR awareness are so important.

Seventy-nine per cent of cardiac arrest patients receive CPR by a bystander confirming why learning how to perform CPR and using an AED is vital in improving cardiac arrest survival rates before paramedics arrive.

Learn vital lifesaving skills and book a first aid course at St John WA.