The Mikey Network helps out Iqaluit

, , ,

The Mikey Network has reached as far south as Haiti to help people who are in need of a defibrillator, and now we’ve placed a MIKEY near the top of the world.

Recently, Joamie School, a K-5 school of approximately 260 students and 30 staff, contacted us about their need for a defibrillator.  Located in  Iqaluit, Nunavut; it is one of the most northerly inhabited places in Canada.

The Joamie school’s need for an AED stems from it striving to provide a safer environment for not only the students of Iqaluit but also the residents of the community that often use the school for group meetings or sports activities.

Being so geographically remote and having such a harsh wintery climate make it very difficult for first responders to address health emergencies quickly in Iqaluit. So the school reached out to us for help. Having a MIKEY defibrillator on-site is the only way it could be used in time should a cardiac emergency occur.

Now that the Joamie School has their MIKEY, school staff and students are learning how to use and operate the AED, and staff are seeking out ways that they can promote a more heart-healthy lifestyle in the community.

After installing their MIKEY they were kind enough to send us this picture. “Nakurmiik” (also written in syllabics) means “Thank you” in Inuktitut. How amazing are these kids!? We hope they never have to use their MIKEY but we sure are glad they have one.

 

 

 

Final week of #SHOWANAED promotion

,


We have already received many entries for our #SHOWANAED promotion and we would like to thank everyone who has posted a photo.  Every submission has helped create awareness for these life-saving devices.

We encourage everyone to keep on posting photos! We still have one week remaining and with every entry you have a chance to win a $25 Itunes gift card.  

To enter, simply take a photo of any AED and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with the hashtag #SHOWANAED. All posts must be public, so anyone can see them. More details on the promotion can be found here.

There have already been three winners and you may be next!

Here are some of the great photos that have been submitted so far.

 

 

 

The Martin’s have succeeded, with the help of The Mikey Network.

,

We’re proud to share the amazing news that the Martin family have succeeded in their goal to get AED’s placed in every public school in the Ottawa-Carleton area!

In February of 2017, while playing with friends at recess, Griffin Martin suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Staff jumped into action immediately, but unfortunately, they nor the emergency personnel who arrived afterwards could revive him.

After learning more about the incident, the family learned that there was no AED at Griffin’s school. If an AED was available during their son’s cardiac arrest, he may have stood a better chance at surviving. In fact, 78 of the 119 Ottawa public elementary schools do not currently have an AED available.

To honour Griffin’s memory the family created a campaign to raise money for the installation of AED’s in every school in the Ottawa area, including Orlean’s Wood, Griffin Martin’s elementary school.

We helped the Martins launch their AEDs for Schools – Remember Griffin campaign at the end of September and in just a few weeks the Martins have raised close to $20,000. CBC News interviewed Griffin’s parents, Andrea and Damien, and Mikey Network President Eva Naumovski, and news stories ran online, in print, and on the radio, nationwide.

All of this activity quickly got the attention of senior staff within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. It turns out that the OCDSB already had the money for the AED’s and was planning to install them in phases over the next year. The main hurdle that the school board faced to placing them sooner was a lack of training among staff and an unclear plan for how the machines would be maintained.

They announced yesterday, that they will begin the installation of defibrillators in all of their school’s by September 2018.

The OCDSB has partnered with the Ottawa Paramedic Service, which oversees close to 1,200 defibrillators in public places across Ottawa. A spokesperson for the OPS has stated that the schools will be responsible to maintain the AED’s, but they will assist in fixing any problems should they arise.

“The Mikey Network was proud to work with the Martin family to bring awareness to their cause. We couldn’t be happier to share this amazing accomplishment to honour their late son!” Said Mikey Network President, Eva Naumovski.

Although the Martins have had the donation of AED’s from the ODSCB, they’re still working towards their donation goal. Please join us in supporting their AED’s For Schools campaign. Visit aedsforschools.com to learn more about Griffin’s story and to make a donation.

 

 

 

 

Marnie, Daniel, and Lars have peace of mind thanks to their MIKEY Defibrillator

, ,

The Mikey Network is happy to share this photo of Marnie, Daniel, and Lars, one of our Mikey’s Kids families, during their recent family trip. Marnie and Daniel initially connected with The Mikey Network two years ago, after their son Lars was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome.

For parents with children who have heart problems like Long QT Syndrome, having a portable defibrillator can literally be the difference between life and death. Our Mikey’s Kids program provides MIKEYs to families of children who would often not even be able to leave the hospital without one. Having a MIKEY AED on hand and ready to help save their child’s life offers them great peace of mind, and the freedom to live a more normal life.

After recently catching up with the family, we’re happy to report that they’re all healthy and that Lars has yet to experience any LQTS related incidents. This is welcome news to Marnie, who also suffers from LQTS, and has had few incidents since her diagnosis and cardiac arrest in 1999. Although both Marnie and Lars have had few incidents, they understand the need of always being prepared and they make sure to take their MIKEY with them wherever they go.

If you’re interested in helping more families like the Blair family, you can support the Mikeys Kids program by making a donation.

Update: Griffin Martin’s family take their story to the public

,

 

Recently, we shared a story of Griffin Martin, a young man who tragically passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest while at school.

Griffin’s family recently sat down with the CBC to talk about their son and to talk about the need for AED’s to be placed in public schools. They believe that if an AED was available at his school, it could have helped to save Griffin’s life. They have now started a campaign to raise money to buy AED’S and place them in schools to make sure that incidents like the one their family dealt with, never happen again.

Below is the CBC web story, and the CBC radio and television interviews.

CBC web story
http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/a-heartbeat-away-ottawa-school-defibrillator/

The National on CBC


CBC News Ottawa
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/programs/ottawamorning/aed-campaign-1.4349174

The MIKEY Network has partnered with the Martin’s, to bring awareness to their campaign. Support them today by donating to their campaign here.