Balmain Rugby Club has donated 10 defibrillators to local rugby clubs in memory of Toby Crisp.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in Australia, with 90 people a day suffering SCA outside of a hospital. Without defibrillation the survival rate is between 2% and 5%. For every minute that passes, the chance of survival reduces by a further 10%. SCA can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime with the only definitive treatment is an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) shock. With an AED shock administrated, survival chances increase by over 50%.
Balmain Rugby Club experienced this firsthand on Saturday, 3rd May when one of our own suffered a heart attack whilst playing the game he loved. Toby Crisp, a healthy 25 year old was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and underwent emergency open heart surgery to repair the valve in his heart which failed him on the pitch. Unfortunately Toby lost this fight and passed away a week later.
Whilst Toby didn’t survive, access to an AED and the presence of trained medical staff on the day, meant Toby was given a fighting chance. It also meant that his family could be with him when he died.
Thanks to the generosity of many rugby clubs, as well as the broader rugby community, Balmain Rugby has raised a total of $41,767.68 in Toby’s honour. Toby’s family has asked that the bulk of the money raised be used to purchase AEDs and CPR training for local sporting teams, with the remaining funds donated to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
As a result, Balmain Rugby has successfully purchased 10 Powerheart G5 AED devices from St John Ambulance Australia. The PowerHeart G5 is an incredible machine and some of its key features are;
• RescueCoach™ voice and text prompts
• Real-time CPR feedback gives rescuers specific guidance on compression depth and rate
• Evaluates the casualty’s required shock level & Automatically administers shock
• Daily, weekly and monthly self-tests of critical components
• 7-year AED warranty, and a medical-grade battery with a 4-year full operational guarantee
• Durable design & IP55 rating (dust and water resistance)
These were donated to 10 clubs in our rugby community that helped raise funds for this cause. We’d like to thank you for your assistance over the difficult period of Toby’s passing.
Vale Toby Crisp.