Sisterhood Project Board Member Uses CPR to help Save Man’s Life

5 June

Kate was working from home in Mebourne’s western suburbs when she responded to a GoodSAM alert and helped save a man who was experiencing a cardiac arrest.

GoodSAM is an app, integrated with Triple Zero, designed to save lives by alerting people nearby that someone needs CPR in the first critical minutes after cardiac arrest.

Kate Lambert, a registered nurse of over 20 years and a Director on the Board of The Sisterhood Project, said the man may not have survived if she hadn’t been there to help.

“I arrived at the address and took over CPR from the man’s wife, who was being instructed by emergency services. I performed hands-only CPR for 4 minutes before the paramedics arrived,” Kate said.

“The man arrived at hospital alive, I don’t know if he would have survived if I hadn’t responded to the alert,” she said.

According to Heart Research Australia, 55 Australians suffer a cardiac arrest every day, and if they are not at a hospital less than 8% survive. CPR performed immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can triple the chance of survival.

Skye Larson, Co-Founder of The Sisterhood Project, said that this heart warming story is unfortunately in the minority but really shows the importance of knowing how to perform CPR.

“It is incredible that Kate was able to attend this GoodSAM alert and help save a man’s life,” Skye said.

After a cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without CPR the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent (Heart Research Australia).

“Our aim at The Sisterhood Project is to help remove the barrier’s some parents and carers face in learning CPR and First Aid. These transferable skills can save, not only your child’s life, but the life of any bystander requiring CPR,” Skye said.

“If we increase the number of people with this knowledge we can save many lives and limit many preventable accidents,” Skye said.

The death rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients remains at 90%. However, if early CPR together with defibrillation is provided within minutes, this offers the best chance of survival.