5,000 families in Ireland each year have to endure the sudden loss of a loved one to cardiac arrest when their hearts stop beating. More than 80 of these lives lost are young adults, teens and babies.
When an adult or child collapses like this, their chance of survival decreases by 7-10% every minute if they do not receive CPR or defibrillation. But starting CPR can DOUBLE their chance of survival.
Top Reasons to learn CPR
1. Today, 13 people will die because their hearts stopped beating suddenly.This is known as a sudden cardiac arrest and it kills 5,000 people here every year.
2. 5,000 Irish families affected every year by the sudden loss of a loved one.
3. People of all ages die from it, even babies, children and teens.
4. Two thirds of cardiac arrests happen at home and half happen in front of someone like you and me.
5. By starting CPR, you can double a person’s chance of survival.
6. If your loved one collapsed, would you know what to do? … No? that’s one good reason to learn
7. If someone’s heart stops, for each minute they are without CPR or defibrillation, that person’s chance of survival drops by up to 10% a minute.
8. After just 5 minutes, they may only have a 50% chance of surviving.
9. The Irish Heart Foundation believes everyone, you and me, need to know CPR so we know what to do if we are ever presented with that situation..
10. This 15-17 May the Irish Heart Foundation needs your help to raise vital donations from its Happy Hearts Appeal so it can spread CPR skills and save more lives.
11. Please buy a heart for €2 and help save lives from sudden cardiac arrest.
Matt was joined in studio by Catherine Curran (40), of Malahide, Co Dublin, who suffered cardiac arrest when she was 8 weeks pregnant. She says she owes her life and that of her unborn baby to a paramedic team from the Dublin Fire Brigade and to her husband who kept her alive before the paramedics arrived.
Listen back:
Happy Hearts Appeal
Text HEART to 50300 to donate €2
#makesmyhearthappy @irishheart_ie
