TORONTO – DECEMBER 10, 2012…A MIKEY defibrillator administered by Craig and Jennifer Hansen on Tuesday, December 5, 2012, has given their 2-year old son Carter, a second chance at life.
The defibrillator, provided through the Mikey’s Kids program, was on standby at the Hansen family’s Nobleton, ON home.
Said Craig Hansen,
“In May 2012, our 2-year-old son Carter went into arrhythmia and then cardiac arrest due to a previously undiagnosed benign heart tumor. The paramedics got a rhythm back after 27 minutes, but the resulting significant brain injury kept us at SickKids and Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehab Hospital for 6 months, and we’re still fighting to regain as much of our son’s coordination, vision and speech as we can.
“We went home a month ago with an AED from The Mikey Network, knowing that any further arrest would be incredibly critical. Neurologists told us that by the time EMS arrived, it would be too late. Our only chance was the defibrillator.
“Carter went into arrhythmia again on Tuesday (Dec. 4/12) morning. We started CPR immediately. Because of the training supplied by The Mikey Network, we had his shirt off and the pads on him well ahead of the voice prompts from the AED, which analyzed and advised a shock, which we delivered. The change in our son was immediate.
“He started breathing on his own again. We observed him and kept the AED on him until EMS arrived.
“You guys gave us another chance with our son. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Said Hugh Heron, Chairman of The Mikey Network, “When a child has a serious cardiac problem, the family lives in constant fear, knowing the heart can skip a beat at any moment. As a result, the child often has to stay close to home and/or a hospital. The Mikey’s Kids program provides families with portable MIKEYS so these children can lead more normal lives. The Mikey Network works with various organizations including Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, Ottawa’s Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Hamilton’s McMaster Children’s Hospital, to provide MIKEYS to families in need.”
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ABOUT THE MIKEY NETWORK
The Mikey Network, founded in 2003, is a registered Canadian charity working to create public awareness and provide education about heart healthy lifestyles. To date, 14 lives have been saved, over 1,300 MIKEY defibrillators have been placed across Canada, with 11,000 people trained in CPR/AED. The Mikey Network was named for Mike Salem, a valued partner at Heathwood Homes and The Heron Group who experienced sudden cardiac arrest and died on a golf course in 2002. Other Mikey Network programs include: Mikey’s Kids – The Mikey At Home Program, Mikey On Board, The Mikey’s Young At Heart School Defibrillator Program, Mikey On the GO, Mikey Cops Are Tops.
Contacts: David Eisenstadt / Sohini Bhattacharya
The Communications Group Inc.
416-696-9900 ext. 36 / 24
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com / sbhattacharya@tcgpr.com
