The HeartStart Foundation   ABN : 30 284 021 508
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        "HEART START"

A ROTARY CLUB OF WILLIAMSTOWN PROJECT
IN
DISTRICT 9800

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June 2006

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Press Releases 2

 


                            

 

A BIG SMILE SAYS IT ALL Morph   

The big grin on the face of seven-year-old Cal Cordes is a living testimonial to the importance of defibrillation.

Cal, who has a heart disease known as cardiomyopathy, has been given a new lease on life thanks to Laerdal and St John Ambulance.

In early July the Cordes family learnt of Cal's life threatening illness.

His mother M put out a call for help after learning that Cal's best chance of survival following a cardiac arrest was prompt access to a defibrillator.

The cost of purchasing the machine was beyond that family's means.

'Doctors said to us that an internal pacemaker was not appropriate for Cal and that we would need to purchase a portable defibrillator', says Mrs Cordes.

'Unfortunately there is no government or private medical subsidy for these life saving machines'.

Laerdal donated an automatic external defibrillator worth $4,000 to the Cordes family after becoming aware of young Caleb's condition.

St John Ambulance provided training in how to use a defibrillator to Caleb's family and teachers.

A smiling Cal says: 'I can now run around more and not have to worry as much'.

In a letter to Laerdal, Cal also says: 'thank you to all your staff at Laerdal for my defibrillator'.