By Matthew Sims
Beaconsfield grandfather Lee Stewart had an emotional reunion with the people who saved his life earlier this year, with the 71-year-old embracing the two paramedics who shocked him back to life and the local GoodSAM responder who arrived on his doorstep within two minutes of receiving the call for help.
Lee was in his home office when his wife Christine heard what sounded like a loud gasp and entered the room to find him unresponsive.
She immediately called Triple-Zero and was instructed to lay him down and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Moments into performing CPR, Christine remembered the front door was locked and rushed to open it for paramedics, but happened to run into GoodSAM responder Travis Cusack, who lived about 100 metres down the street.
“It felt like Superman had flown in to save the day,” she said.
“I can’t describe how it made me feel to see him there and how relieved I was to have someone with me to help.”
Ambulance Victoria (AV) has launched its life-saving annual campaign Shocktober, which calls on residents in metropolitan Melbourne to learn the three simple steps to improve cardiac arrest survival rates – Call, Push, Shock.
About 21 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest every day and only one in 10 survive, with bystander intervention having the greatest impact on improving someone’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest – for every minute which CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
Running throughout the month, Shocktober aimed to highlight the importance of learning CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic) app has connected responders to patients in those first critical minutes of cardiac arrest while paramedics are on the way.
Pakenham Police Acting Senior Sergeant Travis Cusack has been a GoodSAM responder for the past three years and has responded to a total of nine alerts, with the system’s response to Christine’s Triple Zero call precisely how the system should run.
“As soon as I saw Lee I could see he was definitely in cardiac arrest and got straight into performing CPR,” he said.
“I signed up because I thought if I can save one life, it’s all worthwhile and I have been fortunate enough to do that.
“I encouraged anyone who knows CPR to join.”
Beaconsfield AV paramedic Jackson Hollands was one of two paramedics who responded, but said Lee’s 100 per cent recovery would not have been possible without the rapid response of Christine or Travis before they arrived.
“When we arrived, Travis was already there doing CPR, which is key in the chain of survival and likely the main reason there was such a good outcome,” he said.
“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to Call (Call Triple Zero), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).
“We also encourage all Victorians who feel confident performing hands only CPR to sign up to the GoodSAM app.”
Lee said he would be forever grateful to Christine and Travis for saving his life.
“There was no indication anything was wrong right up until the very second it happened,” he said.
“Christine’s quick response was key, and the CPR from Travis is what kept me going.
“Everyone’s efforts saved my life.
First transported to the Victorian Heart Hospital in Clayton and undergoing a quintuple bypass, Lee then completed rehabilitation at St John of God Berwick Hospital, with 10 two-hour sessions of exercise getting him back to full health, both mentally and physically.
“Mentally, I had lost a lot of time,” he said.
“A week or so before and two days after, it went black.
“I’m nearly back to one hundred per cent and that’s all thanks to them.”
Lee welcomed his first granddaughter in mid-June and was looking forward to spending time with her, his seven-year-old step-grandson and his family.
Christine said she would be eternally grateful for support from all levels of emergency responders and healthcare professionals.
“Every time I try to explain it all, I can’t,” she said.
“I felt like I was on adrenaline overload for months afterwards.
“Deep in my heart, I knew he was going to make it.”
Christine said she and Lee were keen to take trips in their caravan, but Lee has been busy since recovering with renovations around the house
For more information about Shocktober, the GoodSAM app and how to perform CPR and use an AED, visit www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober.
To register your publicly accessible AED, visit registermyaed.ambulance.vic.gov.au.
