Wodonga parents Jess and Sean were faced with the scariest night of their lives in March last year when their then 14-month-old son, Luca, experienced a cardiac arrest.
It was about 3am when the couple heard a distressed Luca screaming on the baby monitor.
Sean went to check on the toddler and found him unresponsive in his cot.
Springing into action, Sean called Triple Zero (000), checked his airways and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Shortly after, a GoodSAM responder arrived at their home to help the family.
GoodSAM is a mobile app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with a nearby volunteer who is willing to start hands-only CPR while paramedics are on their way.
“When the GoodSAM showed up, they helped prepare by clearing space for the paramedics and made sure Sean was alright to continue doing compressions,” Jess said.
“I stayed on the phone with the call taker who was talking us through CPR.
“Not long after, the paramedics arrived and gave Luca two shocks with a defibrillator.”
After achieving return of spontaneous circulation, paramedics transported Luca to Albury Base Hospital where he was later airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Luca remained in hospital for about a month, spending the first three days intubated in the intensive care unit (ICU).
While Luca is now back at home and recovering well, the cause of his cardiac arrest remains unknown.
