Blaxland FC Defibrillator Fund
UPDATE: THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RAISED THE FUNDS REQUIRED! THE MONEY IS BEING TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY TO THE BLAXLAND FOOTBALL CLUB ACCOUNT. THE CLUB WILL KEEP US UPDATED REGARDING THE PURCHASE.
UPDATE: WE ARE ALMOST THERE! THE TOTAL HAS BEEN CHANGED TO $1350 IN ORDER TO COVER THE PERCENTAGE TAKEN BY GOFUNDME.
Blaxland FC is in desperate need of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) or "Defib". Why? Because it could save a life!
The short version:
Sudden cardiac death can affect anyone, in fact it often occurs in young, fit men and women . Many young soccer players have been lost in Australia to this condition. Whilst CPR is crucial, the key treatment is early defibrillation. The club has made the effort to secure a government grant that will provide half the cost of an AED. We need to fund the remaining $1250 ($1350 including GOFUNDME costs) to make this happen and potentially save a life. This is a small cost for a huge potential benefit. We are a family club, we need a defib, please donate now.
The longer version:
Heart disease is Australia's No.1 killer and it takes a precious life every 26 minutes. In many people this is sudden and without warning. Sudden cardiac death happens as a result of a cardiac arrest and can happen to people of all ages. According to the latest research 1 to 4 Australians aged between 1 and 35 die a week from sudden cardiac death, with about a third of sudden cardiac deaths occurring without any prior warning.
According to cardiac specialist Dr Chris Semsarian, in the event of an arrest " Every minute that passes the chance of survival drops by about 15 per cent, so you can imagine by five minutes their chance of survival is virtually zero. There is a chance of survival, but the two main things you need is very rapid bystander CPR where there are chest compressions at around 100 times per minute, and secondly a defibrillator which shocks the heart out of the abnormal rhythm and leads to the saving of that person's life...
The summary. Defibrillators save lives... and there should be one ready to use at our clubhouse in the event of an emergency.
Our club has recently been approved for a grant which provides a 50% discount on an AED. This is through the NSW Government Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program
The base level AED package includes:
An AED
AED familiarisation instruction
A minimum of six years of essential AED maintenance
Importantly you cannot harm anyone by using a defibrillator, you can only help save their life. The AED works by assessing the electrical rhythm in the heart and determines if and what size of shock is required. They are very easy to use!!
We need your help to raise the funds for this life saving device. A small donation could help save the life of a loved one, team member, best mate or a complete stranger.
I believe that with your help we can reach the total of $1350 with ease. It goes without saying that all funds generated from this campaign will be sent to the club.
C'mon Family Club, lets get this defib.
Thanks in advance for your generosity.
Matt Allaway
(Blaxland FC AA4s)
References:
https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/sudden-cardiac-death
http://www.defibforlife.org.au/buy-defibrillators-1/sporting-clubs/
https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/defibrillator/local-sport-defibrillator-grant-program-faqs
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-21/campaign-for-defibrillators-in-public-places/6930342
