A Darwin toddler who survived a cardiac arrest at just 22 months old, caused by a tumour larger than his heart, is back to his energetic self thanks to lifesaving intervention by St John NT paramedics, in a remarkable story shared to mark Restart a Heart Day.
What began as an ordinary afternoon for mother Amanda McCourt quickly became a nightmare when her son Beau suddenly let out a painful cry before turning blue and becoming unresponsive.
“I was looking at him and he started going blue, his eyes rolled back. I panicked and ran next door to my neighbour, who is a retired nurse, yelling, ‘Help me, something is wrong with Beau',” Amanda recalled.
Initially believing Beau was choking, her neighbour and neighbour's daughter desperately tried to clear his airway and delivered CPR while emergency services were called.
St John NT Intensive Care Paramedic Kelsey Squire, Paramedic Kylie Gullefer and Intern Paramedic Mark Wadson responded, arriving to find Beau critically unwell and taking occasional gasping breaths.
The crew immediately began life-saving treatment, using a defibrillator to deliver an electrical shock to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Beau was rushed to Royal Darwin Hospital, where doctors discovered his heart had been beating dangerously fast, preventing it from effectively pumping blood around his body.
For Amanda and her partner Nathan, the hours that followed were filled with uncertainty, but Kelsey stayed to make sure they were taken care of too.
“Throughout all of it, Kelsey was there, checking in on us, explaining everything and keeping us informed. She was so amazing and I'm so grateful she was there,” Amanda said.
Beau was transferred to Melbourne for specialist cardiac care, where further tests revealed the cause of Beau's cardiac emergency: a cardiac fibroma, a rare type of heart tumour, measuring approximately 9.5 by 3.5 centimetres.
After being sedated for ten days, the toddler went into surgery to remove the tumour and part of his heart muscle, with a patch used to repair the affected area.
Now Beau is back in Darwin, has no further abnormal heart rhythms, and is enjoying life as an energetic two-year-old.
The story of Beau’s remarkable recovery is being shared this Restart a Heart Day (Friday 16 October) to highlight the importance of early CPR and defibrillation.
Every year, more than 32,000 Australians experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with only around one in ten surviving.
Without CPR or defibrillation, a person's chance of survival can decrease by approximately seven to ten per cent with every minute that passes. However, when CPR and defibrillation are delivered within the first three to five minutes, survival rates can reach as high as 70 per cent.
St John NT Director of Ambulance Services Sam Kellick said Beau's story was a reminder that cardiac arrest can happen without warning, even in young children.
“Beau's story is a powerful example of why those first few minutes matter. His neighbour stepped in and performed CPR with guidance from our Emergency Medical Dispatcher, before our paramedics arrived and delivered critical treatment.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any age, and you don't need to be a medical professional to make a difference. Calling Triple Zero, starting CPR and using an AED as soon as possible can give someone a fighting chance.”
St John NT is encouraging all Territorians to learn the three simple steps that could save a life: Call. Push. Shock.
Learn more: www.restartaheart.net
Book your first aid training: www.stjohnnt.org.au/first-aid-training
