Sunday 25 September 2022 04:20 PM Mum saves toddler with CPR in Sydney's Hills Shire: Triple-0 call revealed: ... trends now
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A mum's desperate Triple-0 call for help as her toddler had a heart attack in the back seat of her car has led to a change in police procedure.
Squad cars in Sydney's Hills Shire will now carry defibrillators after little Lily McGowan's incredible tale of survival thanks to her mum, Sam, and two officers.
When the two-year-old, who has a pre-existing heart condition became ill, Ms McGowan pulled over on Gilbert Road at Castle Hill and called Triple-0.
'I was just driving in the car and she's thrown up everywhere. And now, I think, I don't know if she's having a seizure or what,' she frantically told the emergency operator.
Toddler Lily McGowan (pictured in her mum Sam's arms) is reunited with Senior Constable Nicole Ziedan (right), who helped save her life and other police officers
Pictured: A defibrillator
A defibrillator is a sophisticated life-saving device used to treat Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), a condition that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping due to an underlying medical condition.
In Australia, there are more than 30,000 SCA's every year and without defibrillation and CPR, fewer than 5 per cent survive.
Every minute that passes without defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by 10 per cent.
If a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes of sudden cardiac arrest, it can increase the survival rate to as high as 70 per cent.
It is vital that more people become aware of what defibrillators are, how to find them
