I used to sit for endless hours watching the Wiggles with my kids. How could a show be so entertaining? Kids remembered the Wiggles years after their childhood. My kids remembered the Wiggles based on the color of their shirts, “the purple one”, red, blue, and yellow, etc. I looked up the Wiggles after not hearing about them in a while. I found out that Greg Page, the yellow Wiggles member went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing during a bushfire relief show. Greg suffers from a condition called orthostatic intolerance. Orthostatic means ‘upright’, meaning that Greg risks his life whenever he stands. Greg’s body struggles to pump enough blood.
A young off-duty nurse named Grace Jones was a fan in the audience. She found a defibrillator in the RSL and desperately worked to resuscitate Greg. The drummer and a crew member assisted with CPR as well. They saved his life and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Greg underwent surgery and he is doing well now. The only member of the Wiggles who is still performing is Anthony Field (the blue Wiggle).
After reading about Greg Page, I thought it would be a good idea to get a defibrillator for my home. Also, I am learning CPR. I started reading about cardiac arrest: cardiac arrest is caused when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions. The heart stops beating properly. The heart’s pumping function is “arrested,” or stopped. In cardiac arrest, death can result quickly if proper steps aren’t taken immediately. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is performed and a defibrillator shocks the heart and restores a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes. (this is from heart.org)
By the time an ambulance would come to my house it would be too late. I have seen some really good defibrillators online and I am definitely taking a first aid and CPR class.
He was lucky that there was lots of help around. Being an entertainer is risky with that condition and I’m glad he left the business for his health