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I THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, APRIL 7,2004 PAGE 3 www.durhamrcgion.com 1 f Defibrillators coming to more public places ÎBY JESSICA VERGE ii L< DURHAM -- It's a situation keen on every, medical drama on television. *; A patient has a heart attack and is brought back to life by a team of doctors who shock the chest with paddles. But it's not just doctors saving lives anymore - at least not if Velma Owens has her way. • Automated External Defibrillators, Defibrillators, or AEDs, are user-friendly versions versions of the devices seen on TV. They've been popping up in public places across North America for over a. decade and now, thanks in part to Ms. Owens, Durham Region will be adding more to its collection. collection. ! "Seems to me it's a good thing," says Ms. Owens, who recently donated donated $5,000 to the Durham Cardiac Siife Community Program toward the purchase of two new AEDs. "If you can give your fellow man a second second chance at life, why not?" The 83-year-old Pickering resident, resident, grandmother and retired bakery bakery supervisor had noticed recent stories surfacing in the newspapers about everyday people saving lives with the help of an AED. j Ms. Owens was determined to help out, but no one she contacted, including her doctor and pharmacist, pharmacist, knew how she could get involved. involved. , Finally, a news article on AEDs iiitroduced her to the Cardiac Safe Community Program, whose goal is to create awareness about the defibrillators defibrillators and get them into public places. The program partnered Ms. Owens w!ith Dunbarton High School in Pickering, which is raising funds to pay for half of one AED that will be kept at the school. The program found Dunbarton to be a suitable place for an AED, because of its big population and public swimming pool. . . It is still undecided who will share the cost of the second AED but it will also be located in Pickering. Pickering. The need for AEDs is something Ms. Owens can personally understand. understand. She suffered a mild heart attack attack over 10 years ago and watched her husband of 46 years endure bypass bypass surgery and battle heart problems problems until he died six years ago. Now people in similar situations can rely on AEDs to help them in an emergency. And while places with AEDs have individuals trained in . their use, anyone could operate the device if needed. When the AED's box is opened, an alarm sounds. When it's removed from its box, 911 is automatically contacted. The device then guides the user in how to administer the shock, both verbally and through diagrams. diagrams. In a hospital, the doctor would analyze a heart monitor to assess the patient's need for a defibrillator. With the AED, however, that's not necessary. "The machine makes the decision on whether or not the shock is appropriate," appropriate," says Jim Harris, manager of quality-assurance programs for the Base Hospital Advanced Life Support Program for Durham Region. Region. Early defibrillation, coupled with early access to 911 and CPR, could mean the difference between life and death, as cardiac arrest victims are more likely to survive when these steps are taken. Every minute that defibrillation is delayed, there is a 7- to 10-per cent decrease in the chances of survival. "It's part of first aid now," says Bob Brunet, clinical coordinator of Walter Passarclla/ Statesman photo Velma Owens donated money toward defibrillators for Durham paramedics. Durham Paramedic Association Association past president Kevin Gaskin shows her how the equipment works. community programs. Defibrillators have been evolving in North America for the past 50 years. Automated versions were developed developed in the early 1990s and Ontario Ontario welcomed its first'in 1999. The concept reached Durham Region Region two years ago through the Cardiac Cardiac Safe Community Program, which put the machines in the Whitby Whitby Recreation Centre and Iroquois Park. Three weeks after one was established established at the Whitby Recreation Centre, it was used to save a man's life. In the two years AEDs have been in place throughout Durham Region, Region, there have been eight lives have been successfully saved using . A plan to install AEDs in Oshawa is currently under way and they will be available at municipal buildings and recreation centres in the coming months. Ms. Owens, who left provisions in her will to donate for further AED purchases, is glad to have more of these machines in the area but she hopes her generosity will also raise awareness about these devices, making making it easier for those inspired to contribute to do so. 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