2020 has been a tough year for everyone.
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At the start of the year NSW was still reeling from the bush fires over summer when COVID-19 hit our shores.
Between those two events the original yellow Wiggle Greg Page was performing at a fundraising concert for bush fire victims when a cardiac arrest almost claimed his life.
Page has no doubt that if it hadn't been for a defibrillator at the venue he would not have survived.
Determined to help others as soon as he was well enough he founded Heart of the Nation to provide better outcomes for people who experience a cardiac arrest.
Heart of the Nation not only runs programs and initiatives to support the recommendations of bodies and organisations such as the Global Resuscitation Alliance and the Australian Resuscitation Council. It also encourages businesses, venues and organisations to install defibrillators to help save more lives.
This week Page visited Horizon Bank's head office in Wollongong to welcome it as a member of Heart of the Nation and thank it for locating defibrillators in all of its branches. He said the life saving decision showed the bank was committed to providing aid to anyone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Page used the visit to to encourage other businesses to follow Horizon's lead.
He said community groups, clubs, businesses, workplaces, shops, schools or any type of organisation that has a defibrillator on-site that could be used by any member of the community, can join Heart of the Nation.
That means they give consent to pass on their information to Ambulance services to form part of a register to allow triple zero call takers to guide bystander-responders to the nearest defibrillator.
"Anybody with an AED on site can become a member of the Heart of the Nation and be recognised by the community as a place that has a defibrillator that can save a life," Page said.
"I want to encourage others to follow Horizon's lead because the more AEDs we have in the community the more lives we save.
"We are also doing a program with Cricket Australia which is a fundraising platform that enables cricket teams and clubs to be able to fundraise in one place to purchase a defibrillator and have it on hand."
I want to encourage others to follow Horizon's lead because the more AEDs we have in the community the more lives we save
- Greg Page
Page said it had been a very busy year for him after such a dramatic start. But it has also been a good year in terms of the progress that has been made in getting more defibrillators into the community. He said it was good to be alive and be able to help make a difference for others.
But Page said it had also be a good year in terms of the progress that has been made in getting more defibrillators into the community. He said it was good to be alive and be able to help make a difference for others.
"I can help educate the community about cardiac arrest and how to respond to it. And maybe we can save more lives like mine."
Horizon Bank chief executive Jon Stanfield said the installation of defibrillators in all the branches was a small cost to potentially save a life.
"In the event of someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest, we want to let the community know Horizon Bank has a defibrillator available. We truly care about our customers, staff and the general public. This is a tangible way of showing our commitment to our communities."
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Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
