Advocates continue pushing for more AEDs and more awareness of how to use them
When it comes to cardiac arrest every minute matters.
As we saw at the Euro Cup this weekend when football player Christian Eriksen suddenly collapsed on the field, quick action can make the difference between life and death.
Medics rushed in to bring him back from the brink by using a combination of CPR and a defibrillator to save his life.
"He was gone, and we did cardiac resuscitation and we got him back after one defib, so that's quite fast," Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen said Sunday.
David Fowlie of Dartmouth says Eriksen was very fortunate. His own son Michael, the picture of health at 28-years-old, passed away after going into cardiac arrest while cycling on Purcells Cove Road in Halifax in 2014.
He has been advocating for better access to automated external defibrillators -- or AEDs -- and says there has been some progress made in Nova Scotia.
"Currently, we have a registry in Nova Scotia indicating the number of AEDs and the locations of AEDs however we need far more AEDs than what we have right now," Fowlie said.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, every year an estimated 35,000 cardiac arrests happen in Canada.
It can happen at any age, at any time -- and to people of all fitness levels -- without any warning.
Only one in 10 people survive those that happen at home or in public places, but the chances of survival double with immediate action.
"The Heart and Stroke Foundation would like to see AEDs as prevalent as fire extinguishers in public places," said Karen Chapple, Atlantic resuscitation program manager with the Foundation. "It's just to help bringing awareness that AEDs can save a life."
In New Brunswick, there is a provincial defibrillator registry which is voluntary, and has over 850 now registered.
Since 2014, there have been 34 cardiac arrest survivors in New Brunswick who have been saved by bystanders.
"It's so important for folks to recognize the emergency exists, call 91-1, start CPR and use the AED," said Mary-Lou Price, who runs the public access defibrillation program in New Brunswick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.