On May 2, 2012, at the Toronto Police College, a 52 year old male police officer went into cardiac arrest while exercising as part of his regular training program.

“Fortunately, others at the Toronto Police College gymnasium on Birmingham St. in Etobicoke performed CPR and applied the MIKEY defibrillator. After two shocks, they were able to get a heartbeat. He was transported to Mississauga Trillium Hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery,” said Mikey Network Chairman Hugh Heron.

The MIKEY was one of the 70 defibrillator units donated to the Toronto Police Services, Provincial Courts and Collision Centres, as part of our Mikey Cops Are Tops program.

Police Officers put their lives on the line for total strangers every day.  They are among the first to arrive at emergencies and true heros in every sense of the word.  We are delighted that this officer’s emergency had a positive outcome.

Since its formation, The Mikey Network has placed over 1200 life-saving MIKEY defibrillators, trained 10,000+ people in CPR/AED and 14 lives have been saved by a MIKEY.

Mikey Network Chairman Hugh Heron (centre), Executive Director Morty Henkle (at left) and members of Team Mikey

The Mikey Network was honoured by BILD (Building Industry and Land Development Association) on Friday night, April 27, 2012, at the 32nd Annual BILD Awards.

The Mikey Network was recognized with the first ever Stephen Dupuis Community Building Award, named after the late Stephen Dupuis, BILD’s President and CEO of over 20 years.

“To hear that every 12 minutes someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest in Canada, it can make you feel helpless, but The Mikey Network and its mission to place public access defibrillators in as many high-risk locations as possible gives everyone a chance to help,” said BILD Chair Paul Golini Jr.

“This is a great example of a BILD member committed to community building through exceptional charitable and community involvement,” Golini added.

Thank you BILD!

Weston Collegiate Institute gym teacher Jeff Crewe.PHOTO Aaron Vincent Elkaim for National Post

The Weston Collegiate Institute student was in Jeff Crewe’s gym class Friday morning, when the boy went into cardiac arrest.

Crewe quickly grabbed the school’s MIKEY defibrillator and went to work saving his student’s life.

In an interview with CityNews Toronto, Crewe said,

“He just collapsed. There was nothing leading up to it, his eyes were rolled to the back of his head, and his tongue was out of his mouth and there was nothing. No emotion. No nothing.

We got the defibrillator, we put the defibrillator on him, the machine said shock advised, we shocked him.

He started gasping again, that’s when we stopped chest compressions and we just kept talking to him, encouraging him to keep breathing.  He’s a wonderful young man with a bright future and that’s all we could hope for, that he would be okay.”

Ajethan Ramachandranathan, April 17, 2012. PHOTO CITYNEWS.

Said Ajethan Ramachandranathan from his hospital room,

“He saved my life. I really need to see him in person and thank him for that. Thank you sir for saving my life.

Now knowing I almost died, I’m going to try to live life even fuller…going to try to do things I’ve never done before,”

The MIKEY was donated to Weston Collegiate Institute by The Mikey Network through our Mikey Young At Heart School Defibrillator Program.  120 MIKEYS (defibrillators), plus the cost of training of up to eight staff at each location, were donated to the TDSB in 2007.

This is the 13th life that was saved using a MIKEY.  Thirteen has never been a luckier number!

See the entire interview on CityNews Toronto.

The story was also covered in the National Post.

The Mikey Network will not only participate in this great walk but also help raise money for the Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada, whose cardiac rehabilitation centres take over where the MIKEYs leave off, helping thousands of cardiac survivors recover and ideally live long and heart healthy lives.

Come out and participate in a fun, healthy day for the entire family!

WALK OF LIFE TORONTO
3 km/5 km Walk and 5 km Run
Sunday, May 27, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

As our gift to you The Mikey Network will pay the Registration Fee for all TEAM MIKEY participants and every team member will receive special TEAM MIKEY gear.  YOUR GOALS:

THIS YEAR’S NEW LOCATION
Evergreen Brick Works
550 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, ON  M4W 3X8

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Click here to register …

As part of the Mikey On Board program, all TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Canada moving trucks are now equipped with a MIKEY defibrillator.

A special thanks to Stewart Smith and his team at Two Men And A Truck for telling our story so well!