Defibrillators will be equipped in all Ottawa public elementary schools. This implementation is too late for one family but supports their mission for their son.
It has been 8 months since 8-year old Griffin Martin collapsed and lost his life at his Orleans school. The pain for the family is still present but an “improvement” will come from their son’s death.
It was in February when Griffin Martian collapsed during recess at his elementary school in Orleans. His heart ceases to beat. The school does not have a defibrillator. His classmates thought he was joking, and it quickly became clear that he wasn’t. The teachers started CPR and called for emergency assistance but there was nothing they can do at that point.
Since the death of Griffin, his parents were on the mission to ensure AED’s or automated external defibrillators are present in all public schools in Ottawa.
High schools in Ottawa have defibrillators for many years as well as in various public areas such as shopping malls.
It remains unclear whether an AED could have saved Griffin. Sadly, it is an answer that the Martins will never get. However, there is solace in known that another family will not go through the torment that the Martins endured.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a CPR training and for more information, check out these sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600