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William's Story

There are a lot of things to think about when you're a 17 year old high school student, but cardiac arrest usually isn't one of them. That all changed for William Jones when he collapsed on his classroom floor. "I just slipped out of my chair and fell to the ground. I started to turn blue and pale and that's when they called over the announcement system to send help."

William's heart had stopped in cardiac arrest, but within minutes, someone called 9-1-1 and a teacher trained in CPR began to resuscitate him. At the time, there was no AED at the school, but the Fire Department was only a kilometer away. They arrived with an AED and shocked William's heart. But they couldn't keep it going for long. The paramedics had to shock him multiple times on the way to the hospital. "They weren't sure if I would survive. When my mom got that call saying 'your son is dying,' I can only imagine how she felt. At the hospital, they even had the priest come in and read me my last rights."

It took several days for William to begin showing signs of recovery and a full two weeks before he was talking and moving around consciously. The doctors never found a cause of William's cardiac arrest, but he was given an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator), which monitors his heart rate and can shock the heart if it stops suddenly. By the time William left the hospital, his only problem was that he felt a bit weak. "I went from being a basketball player in peak physical condition to someone who could barely lift anything."

William is now 24 years old, works as an Aerospace Engineer and is in great shape. "Today, I have no problems, but I do have to be careful when I play sports. I bike a lot now, too."

He says he feels lucky to survive and wants to share his story with as many people as possible so they can learn that this could happen to anyone. "This is a very important cause and I feel proud to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The more money we can give to help fund research - the better and the safer - we can live."

William's school received an AED from an independent donor, but there are still many schools, community centres, hockey arenas and public areas that are in need. The Heart and Stroke Foundation's goal is to make these life-saving AEDs as common as fire-extinguishers.