Lifesaving Generosity

A popular Phillip Island store will acquire an expensive 24-hour life-saving device thanks to help of generous locals and businesses.

Within twelve hours of asking the community for funding assistance, husband and wife team Chris Mathews and Courtney Debono were able to secure enough funds to buy an Automatic Defibrillator which will be available 24/7 at their Ventnor gourmet shop and café, The Store Phillip Island.

Currently, there is no 24 hour access AED available in the immediate area of Ventnor, with other defibrillators located at sporting clubs and tourist spots around the island during work or training hours.

Courtney said she had always been concerned about the lack of emergency devices in Ventnor, especially with many retirees, tourists and cycling enthusiasts in the area.

‘It has always been the back of my mind that we should have a 24-hour accessible defibrillator,’ she said.

‘For every minute a patient doesn’t get CPR/defibrillation, their chances of survival fall by 10 per cent. If a patient in cardiac arrest receives AED treatment within three minutes, the chance of survival rate is 70 per cent.’

Courtney and Chris offer a discount to all emergency services. Courtney said it was a loyal customer and lovely ambo named Erin who suggested they purchase an automatic defibrillator to locate on the premises.

And whilst the couple have been incredibly busy at The Store Phillip Island since they purchased it eighteen months ago – with locals, visitors and members of The Block television show attending regularly- the cost was too much for Courtney and Chris to outlay on their own.

‘The cost for a fully automatic defibrillator is $2500. The automatic defib has prompts that talk you through how to use it so you don’t need to be on the phone to triple zero at the time,’ Courtney said. ‘We have been doing well as a small business, but with having to pay staff, taxes and other expenses, we couldn’t afford to fork out the money ourselves. I thought I could ask the community for support through a Go Fund Me page.’

Within twelve hours of posting the fundraiser, Courtney and Chris reached their target goal. They hope to purchase the defibrillator next week and Ambulance Victoria will host a familiarisation for the community to learn how to use it if the need arises.

Ambulance Victoria will also purchase another defibrillator for the premises if the initial one gets used.

 ‘We had a mixed bag of individuals and businesses donate, with two customers donating a large sum,’ Courtney said. ‘To reach our target in such a short time is truly wild. I’ve been overwhelmed.’

To learn more about the Ambulance Victoria community familiarisation, stay tuned to The Store Phillip Island’s social media pages.