On March 23, 2009 a student from Holy Jubilee Catholic School in Maple, Ontario died on school grounds. Unfortunately the school is not equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). An AED can be beneficial for any child or adult. An AED is a portable automatic device used to restore normal heart rhythms for those in cardiac arrest. The AED delivers an electric shock that stuns the heart momentarily to give the heart a chance to restart normal electrical activity and resume beating. This device has special low power electrode pads for use on children. Ontario government buildings, municipal offices, community centers and shopping malls are equipped with AEDs. But why not our schools Our children mean everything to us and we need to protect them and help keep them safe. Please join us in urging the provincial government, our MPPs and school boards to equip all our schools with AEDs. AED equipment must be considered standard equipment and available in all schools. Please join us in urging the provincial government that CPR training be mandatory for all school staff. We must tell our provincial government that the lives of our children and all school staff far outweigh the cost of a defibrillator. We need to take action now to ensure no other family suffers a similar tragedy.

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