Hearty fundraiser for local cardiac defibrillator
Left: Neil Baker with the prize head. Photo: Em Hofstede.
The communities of Onekaka and Tukurua are raising money for Golden Bay’s newest portable defibrillator.
The lifesaving electrical equipment, which costs around $4000, will be available 24/7 at the Mussel Inn.
An anonymous donation of $3000 was put forward to fund the defibrillator after a brief conversation in which locals and Sue Netto, the St John manager for operations in Golden Bay, discussed the need for more defibrillators in the Bay. The community will now raise the other $1000.
Getting right behind the efforts is Onekaka woodsman and artist, Neil Baker who has generously offered one of his much sought-after wooden heads for a raffle prize. These sculptures, which he roughs out with a chainsaw and fine-tunes with chisels, are carved from reclaimed logs. The donated piece is carved from a rimu log that floated downriver in last summer’s flood.
Neil says he’s been carving these heads, which keep their eyes on us throughout Golden Bay, for approximately 20 years. They have found their way into international art collections, including that of a High Commissioner of Canada, and are valued at around $1000 each.
“It’s for a good cause,” says Neil, who is pleased to participate in this fashion and that the residents are happy to have a chance to win one of his works.
The residents of these communities realise they are an aging population, in spite of their younger children. A good many of them settled in the area during the 1980s and are now in their late 40s to 60s, age cohorts for whom heart conditions become a matter of practical concern.
The presence of these machines is not a substitute for CPR. One still has to bide the time it takes to get the machine to the patient or get the patient to the machine, but the success rate of starting the heart rises from three per cent with CPR alone, to about 80 per cent with the defibrillator, making them a worthwhile investment.
Sue says that no one needs to be afraid to use these machines as they are foolproof.
“You turn it on, listen to the machine, and follow the voice prompt. It’s fully automatic. The machine automatically analyses the patient and will tell you if it advises a shock.”
The first three minutes after the arrest of the heart are the most critical, and quick action during this time brings about the greatest chance of survival. “Each minute delayed decreases the person’s chance of survival by 10 per cent,” said Sue. Having these machines dotted about the countryside and easily accessible is essential. The defibrillator at the Mussel Inn will support the location gaps in the Bay and also benefit visitors, should the need arise.
Other portable defibrillators are at the Collingwood, Takaka and Upper Takaka fire stations, the dental clinic, Totaranui campground, and the Cobb Power House. The hospital, the medical centre and the ambulances are equipped as well.
Sue says Pohara is an obvious location gap, and could use a machine, as could the West Coast and Wainui Bay.
A “How To” course at the Mussel Inn will be advertised once the machine is purchased and in place. Meanwhile, $5 tickets for a chance to win a sculpture full of heart can be purchased at the Mussel Inn.
For further information regarding defibrillators, including the purchase of a unit, please contact Sue Netto.
Em Hofstede
