News

Joshua Caruso Foundation Donates Life-Saving Equipment to MC

Joshua Caruso Foundation

Joshua Caruso FoundationMacquarie College was thrilled to be invited to a ceremony recently, hosted by members of the Joshua Caruso Foundation, and receive a life-saving defibrillator machine.  The JCF raises funds to ensure that defibrillators are readily available in order to save lives.

Our Office Manager, Jo Porter, attended the presentation and heard from Foundation members, Josh’s family, and delegates from Response by Life who supplied the machine.

The defibrillator will be permanently located in the new Sport & Recreation Centre. 
 
The Foundation was established in 2014 after the sudden death of Josh in 2013, from an undiagnosed congenital heart condition (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or HCM). HCM which leads to a thickening of the heart muscle is the most common form of genetic heart disease, affecting 1 in every 500 Australians and is often undiagnosed until a death in the family. It can affect seemingly healthy athletes, a teenager with no prior health conditions, and any person in their usual daily routine.

The goal of the Foundation is Awareness and Prevention of congenital heart conditions. To achieve these goals, we have raised money and purchased Defibrillators to donate to Schools, Sporting Organisations within the Hunter region. As at Saturday they have donated over 70 packages.

To make a change, and to reduce the often preventable loss of lives, the challenge is for AED’s (Automated External Defibrillators) to be available and applied within minutes of someone collapsing and for people to be confident in their use and more willing to perform CPR.