On March 17th, Matt Smith - the super active, 47-year-old father of 4 - suffered cardiac arrest. He collapsed at the Superstore in Aurora. Within seconds, a firefighter, a doctor and a nurse, who just happened to be grocery shopping, were by his side administering CPR while Cynthia, his wife, gave him mouth to mouth. Thankfully the store had an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the firefighters, who by then were on the scene within 2 minutes of receiving the call, were able to use it. They took over and delivered textbook CPR, even breaking 5 of his ribs in the process.  The compressions that he received kept oxygen flowing to his brain and his heart. 

Minutes later, the paramedics arrived and took over. They say that the "third time's a charm" and, sure enough, on the third 'shock' with the AED, Matt's heart started beating again, all on its own. He immediately tried to get up and was apologizing to Cynthia. He thought that he had fainted. He didn't know what he was apologizing for, but he could see on Cynthia's face that he had done something that she was not happy about! 

If you've ever doubted the possibility of miracles, know that this is definitely one. The global survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is 1% (~5% in Canada). Of course Matt Smith would be in the top 1% of the world! 

The Mikey Network is dedicated to creating public awareness and providing education about heart-healthy lifestyles, and to placing as many defibrillators as possible so those affected by Sudden Cardiac Arrest can have a second chance at life.

Through The Mikey Network, The Beat Goes On.