Surrey mom pushing for defibrillators in schools after her teen son’s cardiac arrest

It saved her son’s life. A Surrey mom is pushing for defibrillators in schools across the city after her teenage son went into cardiac arrest this summer. Ashley Burr has more.

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — After a defibrillator saved her teenage son’s life this summer, a Surrey mother is pushing to have them installed in all schools.

“It was the use of an AED [automated external defibrillator] machine with proper CPR performed by the lifeguards at the gym that helped save his life,” says Esmeralda Gomez. “It was just a combination of both.”

She still doesn’t know what caused her son Alex to go into cardiac arrest over the summer at age 14 and she wanted to make sure he would have access to the machine that helped save him when the school year started.

But his school doesn’t have one.

“That was a big shock to us. We thought it made sense that all schools carried it,” she says.

Availability of defibrillators in schools varies by district and provinces. In 2013, Manitoba passed a law requiring schools and all other “high-traffic public areas” in the in the province to equip themselves with AEDs. There is no such law in B.C.

In the Lower Mainland, the districts of New Westminster, West Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Delta have equipped all their schools with AEDs.

Doug Strachan, spokesperson for the Surrey school board says the district follows standards set out by the province.

“We make sure that we provide AEDs for any students that have a medical need and work out a support plan,” he explains, adding he is not aware of anyone going into cardiac arrest at a Surrey school.

School Boards in Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver, and Burnaby also take this approach.

Gomez says Alex’s school is following this policy.

“I’m glad that they’re going to be able to provide that for Alex. But what about the rest of the students? What about the staff? And what about the other schools?” she says. “It’s just not enough. It has to be at all schools.”

Gomez plans to go to the next meeting of the school’s Parent Advisory Council to try to rally support for getting AEDs in Surrey schools.

“I will do whatever I’ve got to do, not just for my son, but for every student and staff out there that deserves a chance to have their life saved with this machine.”

She says she’s willing to fund raise to cover costs, but she’s heard from some parents that schools won’t accept AEDs purchased by parents due to liability.

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