By Jed Lanyon
The Chum Creek community finally has access to a defibrillator 24 hours a day, seven days a week thanks to the dedication of the local primary school’s staff students and families.
When the school’s requests to have an AED installed through several grants fell on deaf ears, they decided to get together and raise the funds themselves for the better of their community.
It took some time for the small school to reach the figure as students dipped into their pocket money and called on their local community, who donated generously.
The school recognised the need for a defibrillator in the community as those who suffered cardiac arrest in Chum Creek would be left without a defibrillator as the closest lies in Healesville, a 10 minute drive away.
Australians are given a 10 per cent chance of surviving cardiac arrest, according to Ambulance Victoria. Those numbers worsened throughout the pandemic. But when given access to a defibrillator, those slim odds jump all the way up to 70 per cent chance of survival.
When former Chum Creek student Lily and her brother Tom started collecting money to go towards the school’s defibrillator, their parents said they would match it. Together they raised hundreds of dollars towards the cause.
Now an AED sits in a case at the entrance to the school, complete with signage for nearby residents to easily locate the device.
Teacher Ann Hosking said having the defibrillator installed is “life changing” but hopes it doesn’t need to be used.
“Anyone at any time and at any hour can come and get it. It’s for the public’s use. When you ring Triple Zero and are in need of a defib, they will say there is one at Chum Creek Primary School so you can go and get it.
“It’s going to be quicker for anyone around here to drive to Chum. It’s going to be quicker for anyone around here to come to the school than to drive the 10 minutes into Healesville, which wouldn’t work anyway… It can be life changing for some people.”
Some schools keep their defibrillators in the office, meaning they are only accessible during school hours while staff are on site.
“We discussed that and thought, what’s the point of having it? We wanted to do it for the community… People don’t always have heart attacks between 9am and 3pm.
“(Despite) the junior school council organise fundraising activities within the school, we still weren’t anywhere near the funds required to purchase the defib for the community.
“Thanks to the story in the Mountain Views newspaper, some of the families in the wider community helped contribute to our cause such as the Quaggins, Whykes and Parkers to name a few.”
The school was able to source a defibrillator at a discounted rate from Emergcare in Healesville.
