A Grateful Heart
Featured Image: Umit Kursat, grateful patient of Northern Health
In 2019, we met Umit Kursat and his family. Umit suffered a cardiac arrest in October 2019. His heart stopped. His wife Tulay called an ambulance, and while paramedics worked hard to revive him, Tulay’s worst fears were coming to light. Helpless, she stood there and prayed.
Thankfully, those prayers were answered. Umit was revived by a defibrillator in the ambulance before being rushed to the Northern Hospital for life-saving treatment.
Umit is thankful for his second chance. And on a day like World Heart Day, we celebrate his life, and the life of many others who have recovered from similar conditions. Umit and Tulay have a beautiful family, and they run a successful local family business in Epping. Umit is passionate about giving back to the community and spreading the message about the equipment that saved his life.
Each year in Australia, 23,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest. Sadly, only 1 in 10 will survive. Defibrillators give patients a fighting chance. With the generosity of our donors and our local community, Northern Health Foundation funded the purchase of 60 new, state-of-the-art defibrillators for all campuses across Northern Health, so we can have the best care available for our patients when they need it. These defibrillators save lives.
According to Professor Bill van Gaal, Director of Cardiology at Northern Health: “Cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate. It can affect young sportsmen and sportswomen right up to the very elderly and everyone in between. It can come out of the blue or it can occur in people with pre-existing heart diseases. It can happen to anyone at any time”.
As always, good health and wellbeing are vital in preventing heart disease and cardiac arrest. For us at Northern Health, it’s about having access to the best clinicians and the latest equipment so we can help save lives when we need to.
Join us on World Heart Day to celebrate the life of our past patients like Umit Kursat.
Our heart’s are precious in so many ways. Please take care of yours.
Umit Kursat with his wife Tulay
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