Local kindy receives community AED2 min read
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One Tree Hill Kindy received an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in June, thanks to the Embracing Hearts Charity.
The charity has donated 91 AEDs to educational institutions across New Zealand since July 2019, enhancing the safety of children with congenital heart conditions.
One Tree Hill Kindy’s own heart kid, George Dye, knows the importance of this initiative. He was born during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, with coarctation of the aorta, aortic arch hypoplasia, and ventricular septal defects (holes in his heart), and underwent life-saving surgery at just nine days old during level 3 lockdown.
“As his surgery was so successful as a newborn, the chances of him needing additional surgery is extremely low,” says his heart mum, Danielle Bailey.
As the kindergarten approaches its 70th anniversary in September, George is currently its only heart kid, but they’ve had heart kids in the past.
Although George’s condition places him at the less severe end of the spectrum, he will need lifetime monitoring, and will transition to an adult cardiologist at Auckland Hospital when he turns 16. He has no physical limitations, though he needed physical therapy at 20 months to help him walk due to instability across his chest from his surgery.
“He never built up his arm strength, so we saw a fantastic child physiotherapist who got him up and moving within a couple of sessions.”
Danielle praises Embracing Hearts, saying, “They don’t differentiate between heart kids. Their mission is to ensure every school and early childhood centre with a heart kid has an AED, and the local community can benefit from it too.”
The AED is installed on the exterior of the local kindy, thanks to local architecture and engineering firm, Burrett & Associates.
Able Tech will handle the necessary checks and yearly maintenance on the device.
The local community also has access to this life-saving device. It is listed on the AED Locations App and can be accessed by calling 111 for the pin code.
