How Greg Page survived a sudden cardiac arrest

Written by Pip Harry for Australian Seniors

Although he tries not to dwell on his near-death experience that fateful day, Greg Page, 52, knows he wouldn’t be alive if not for an on-site automated external defibrillator (AED) that was used to restart his heart. 

Following his recovery, Greg founded Heart of the Nation, a non-profit organisation that aims to increase Australia’s sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates through education and access to this vital life-saving equipment. 

“My experience is something that drives me forward with the mission to save more lives,” Greg tells DARE. “Over 25,000 suffer a SCA each year, and only 5% survive and get to go home to their families, which is not a huge number.” 

It wasn’t long after leaving hospital in January 2020 that Greg decided to use his profile as a beloved children’s entertainer to set up a charity. “It was always called Heart of the Nation, because that’s what it’s about; community coming together to solve a problem,” says Greg. “It was very clear to me that I needed to use my profile and my public image to raise awareness about this issue.”

What is an AED?   

According to the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, an AED (Automated External Defibrillator or “defib” for short, is a portable, electronic device that’s used in a medical emergency to help someone who is suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. An AED detects and analyses a person’s heart activity and, if needed, delivers an electric shock (also called a defibrillation), through the chest to the heart. An AED can restore normal rhythm to the heart.

How do you use an AED?

The AED device provides detailed step by step instructions on what to do and where to place the paddles. Detailed advice for using an AED and how it should compliment CPR can be found at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.    

Responding to a sudden cardiac arrest

Striving to make AEDs more visible

Greg’s wife Vanessa is a cardiac nurse but he didn’t know that SCA can happen to anyone, at any time, and with little warning. “My perception of CPR and resuscitation was basically centred around drowning only, and didn’t really understand that people in the community might collapse and need to be resuscitated by people who are standing by. Knowing that everything went right for me and I had the best outcome possible, that’s what I’m striving to achieve for more people.”

Greg travels the country, raising awareness of AEDs and how easy they are to use. “These devices are crucial for saving lives,” says Greg. “CPR alone is not going to resuscitate someone in SCA. You need the presence of an AED in what we call the Chain of Survival: ‘Call, Push, Shock’ – calling 000, performing CPR, and using an AED within the first five minutes.” 

Greg is also striving to make AED locations more visible in the community. Prior to his cardiac arrest, he walked past an AED at his local Bunnings store for two years, without realising what it was. “I started up a program where people could register their AEDs with Heart of the Nation, and we’d send out a bright yellow sticker to put on the front door or window of the business. It raises visibility and lets people know there’s an AED in that building if you need it out on the street. 

“Four years down the track, we’ve got more than 8,000 AEDs registered with Heart of the Nation, a lot of stickers in the community, and a lot more people making their AEDs more visible.”

Special training isn’t needed to use the device, stresses Greg. “No training is required, just turn it on. It steps you through exactly what you need to do. Just listen to the voice prompts and follow them, and you could save a life.”

Greg in his own words 

Giving back is now his full-time job, but health is still priority number one. 

When I started Heart of the Nation, I wasn’t sure how it was going to evolve.

It’s quite exciting to see what it has developed into. I just hope I’ve got the energy to keep going with it for another couple of years until I can take a step back and hand the reins over to somebody else.

To be honest with you, there’s not a lot of time outside of Heart of the Nation. 

That includes music, unfortunately. I still try and play cricket, but I’ve missed two games already out of three this season because I’ve been travelling. It really is a full-time job, but I don’t get paid to do it. I donate my time to the charity, and I’m proud of that.

It’s a good kick up the backside for me that I’m a bit run-down at the moment.

I’ve got to get back on top of my health, make time to exercise and eat properly. It’s the same for anybody, right? We have things in our lives that take priority from time to time, like earning an income, looking after the family. But if we’re not the best shape that we can be in, then we can’t look after other people. So we must make ourselves a priority.

After my SCA, I didn’t have to change too much in terms of my diet. 

My eating habits were already pretty good. I cut out fatty meats and cheese. Whereas I used to love lasagna and pizza, those are occasional meals for me now. Typically, I’ll be exercising every day, going for a walk to get the blood moving and get the cardio up. I play cricket in summer, when I can make the games! I try to keep myself fit and healthy.

My wife Vanessa has been the source for a lot of my knowledge. 

In the early days, she educated me on what SCA is, as opposed to heart attack. A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked. SCA is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating. She propelled me forward in my journey to help other people understand the same information.

For further information, visit heartofthenation.com.au or call 1300 874 849.