Your Christmas gift
protects loved ones
Every day this festive season, 60 families will lose a loved one to sudden cardiac arrest
Three times more deadly than a heart attack, a sudden cardiac arrest is typically caused by an electrical disturbance which stops the heart from pumping entirely. If untreated, it will cause sudden death within 10 minutes.
Our researchers have developed a breakthrough screening test to identify people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest like young mum Jess (pictured) who has spent years in fear every Christmas could be her last with her son Hamish. This means we will finally be able to identify people whose hearts are in danger and ensure they get the lifesaving treatment they need, keeping more families together.
This festive season, we urgently need your help to raise at least $290,245 of critical funding for heart research to ensure this screening test is made available to every Australian who needs it.
Your generous donation will help us tackle deadly sudden cardiac arrest head-on and protect loved ones from this invisible killer.
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More than 25,000 Australians suffer a sudden cardiac arrest every year
Sudden cardiac arrest kills 3 times more Australians than heart attacks
90% of people who have a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital will die
Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the biggest killers of Australians under 50
Jess could have died seven times. She had no idea she was at risk.
Young mum Jess has a potentially fatal heart condition called Long QT syndrome, which puts her at risk of deadly sudden cardiac arrest.
For years, Jess has lived in fear her heart could stop at any time.
Jess recently went through her second surgery to have a defibrillator implanted in direct contact with her heart. Finally, Jess is starting to feel safe again, but thousands of Australians have no idea their heartbeats could be numbered.
With your help, our scientists will be able to reach those at risk and ensure people like Jess get the lifesaving treatment they need.
Our scientists are leading the world in better diagnosis for people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
Professor Jamie Vandenberg and his team have developed a test that could identify if people had Long QT syndrome, which can lead to dangerous arrhythmias and an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
In a world first for heart disease, we've gone one step further and can now rank those patients risk of having a deadly cardiac arrest.
It means we can ensure they get the lifesaving treatment they need, tailored to their individual risk, preventing potentially fatal sudden cardiac arrest before it strikes.
“With your crucial support, we can roll this lifesaving test out across the country and stop sudden cardiac arrests taking the lives of our loved one before it’s too late.” - Professor Jamie Vandenberg
Until we can prevent sudden cardiac arrest, it could be any heart, at any time.
Jesse
Jesse suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while playing football with his friends.
His life was saved by an off-duty policeman, who thankfully jumped into action and started CPR. Without his quick action, Jesse probably would not be here today.
The cause of Jesse’s cardiac arrest is still unknown. Shockingly, for 30-40% of young Australians like Jesse who suffer sudden cardiac arrest the cause is unknown.
Johanna
At just 46 years old, Johanna has suffered two sudden cardiac arrests, likely caused by Long QT syndrome - a heart condition she had no idea she had.
Johanna’s brushes with death have taken a huge toll on her wellbeing over the years, but she’s fighting to take positive steps like ensuring her children are regularly screened to manage their risk.
In memory of my 10 year old Great Granddaughter Madison on her anniversary and her birthday.