Our cause this issue:
By Alya Abu-Zayed
T
he proceeds for every issue of Procrastinator go to a different charity.
This issue is fundraising to buy a
defibrillator for Parkside, a cause
that Jess Froggatt has come up with and
been pushing.
One would think that Cardiac Arrest, which
may be caused by a heart attack, can only
happen to those over 50, or have health issues. However, Sudden Cardiac Arrest can
happen at any time and affect anyone, of any
age.
So what is a defibrillator? A defibrillator is an
electrical device that sends electrical shocks
to the heart when a person has an irregular
heartbeat, such as Arrhythmia or Sudden
Cardiac Arrest . When the heart starts
beating irregularly, the defibrillator provides
a shock that basically shocks the heart to
stop so that it can start rhythmically beating
again.
It’s not impossible that someone at Parkside
will need a defibrillator urgently, sometime in
the future.
Even if no one needs one during our time at
Parkside, what about all the future generations of students, and all the teachers? If
even one person experiences arrhythmia
while at Parkside, and it saves their life, then
the defibrillator was a great idea.
You probably know it better from TV and
Thanks for buying a copy of Procrastinator
films where an EMT yells “CLEAR!” and puts
and helping the fund for a defibrillator!
those big paddles on someone’s chest to
shock them awake.
But what’s the point of buying a defibrillator? I mean, how many people are really going to need one at Parkside?
Sources:
More than 1 million people a year in the
UK are affected by arrhythmia, and it’s
one of the top 10 reasons why people
go to hospital. Certain types of arrhythmia can cause sudden cardiac death,
which kills 100,000 people a year in the
UK.
NHS: goo.gl/NkbmBw
ABC news: goo.gl/FtQIvG
YBN: goo.gl/y3H4qR
Medical Expo: goo.gl/76qXEA
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