Stories of success from real survivors
In the conversation about sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), it's easy to get lost in discussions about defibrillation or features like QuickShock. You begin to think of an AED as a box of electrical features and a heart as an organ separate from a person. But SCA isn't just about hearts and AEDs aren't just about boxes. They are about people, real people. The AED conversation is a human one about individuals like yourself, who can save a life or be saved. On this page, we recognize the people impacted by AEDs. We applaud the ones who used an AED and celebrate the ones who were saved. We remember that AEDs are really about helping each other when we need it most.
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How one man’s sudden cardiac arrest was intercepted under the Friday night lights
Every Friday, during the high school football season, you can find Bob and Elaine seated in row 8 on the 50-yard line watching their grandson play football. Friday, September 3, 2021, was no different, until Bob suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
AED gives Australian woman a new lease on life in the New Year
A Regional Manager of Royal Life Saving never expected to have to use an AED when she decided on a whim to take the HeartStart FRx home over the holidays.
Fitness fanatic saves a life at a sports club and gets the ultimate workout
A lunchtime badminton game ended in a cardiac emergency at a Mumbai, India sports club.
Once a first-responder; always a first-responder
How a retired firefighter-paramedic saved a life in the middle of nowhere.
The International School of Stavanger (ISS)
The International School of Stavanger (ISS) is located in Southwest Norway, and, at first glance, appears much like any other educational institution. But, that’s where the similarities end.
Teamwork and quick thinking: A Christmas miracle at Crystal Mountain
To make the most out of having to work on Christmas Day 2017, Kory Abercrombie – a 31-year-old firefighter paramedic for Bainbridge Island Fire Department – dressed as Santa Claus. Then, he heard a call for help come over his radio, indicating that a man was slumped over and unconscious on the chairlift.
Bootcampers work as a team
Evergreen Valley High School, San Jose, California Wednesday, October 4, 2016 started like any other day for Subramaniam Sundar. As this 61-year-old Indian born husband and father of two drove from his home in San Jose, CA to his morning boot-camp class, he thought of nothing more than getting in a little early morning exercise before he started his workday.
Where are they now?
As we mark the 20th anniversary of Philips AEDS, we checked in with five SCA survivors to learn what they are up to now. Thanks to the availability of AEDs and the quick thinking of “everyday heroes” putting those AEDs and CPR to work, these individuals lived to experience hundreds more sunrises, time with family and friends, and the courage to share their experiences in order to help others.
Quick response saves Joe’s life
Joe Moscato, a technical writer with Philips, was a fit guy. His regular routine was a two hour workout in the company gym. He had just finished working out when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). His heart had an electrical malfunction and he needed a normal heart rhythm to be restarted immediately.
Julia needed more than just CPR
Recovering from what she believed was a bad case of the flu, Julia Sims, a Greensboro, North Carolina resident, sat up in bed and assured her husband that she would be fine. She even insisted that he keep his standing golf game. “I turned to put my shoes in the closet,” said Jeff Sims, Julia’s husband. “When I turned back around, Julia was sitting in the bed with her head down. I walked over and gently raised her head. That’s when I knew something was terribly wrong."
A fast acting friend saved Lindsay’s life
One spring morning in April, Lindsay Hayden, age 19, collapsed in her classroom with her heart beating 220 times per minute—two or three times the normal rate. She was in grave danger.
A poolside crisis with a very happy ending
Matt McKenna was an athletic 15 year old. He had just returned from an intensive lacrosse summer camp and was doing flips off a diving board when his mother, Wendy, noticed something was wrong. Matt was on his knees, doubled over with his head almost touching the ground. When Wendy ran over to him and started shaking him, he didn’t respond. He was blue because he wasn’t getting any oxygen.
Learn more about AED products and solutions
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HeartStart HS1
Designed for the ordinary person in the extraordinary moment, Philips HeartStart HS1 AED is ready to act and virtually ready to go. It allows anyone with little or no training to treat the most common cause of suspected sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) by delivering a shock quickly and effectively, wherever SCA happens. The HS1 AED provides practically real-time guidance through step-by-step voice commands from pad placement to performing CPR. When every minute counts, Philips HeartStart HS1 AED is the partner by your side. Side by side. Step by step.
M5066A -
HeartStart FR3
The HeartStart FR3 is Philips best professional-grade AED with advanced features for the professional responder.
861388 -
HeartStart FRx
The Philips HeartStart FRx defibrillator features intuitive, step-by-step voice instructions, including CPR guidance, and an audible metronome to help guide basic life support (BLS) responders while treating a suspected sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) Pre-connected SMART Pads II can be used for both adults and children. Rugged, lightweight and reliable, it can withstand rough handling and extreme temperatures. When every minute counts, Philips HeartStart FRx is the partner by your side. Side by side. Step by step.
861304
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