Saving lives is Kade’s legacy
THE sudden death of a fit 31year-old man has enabled Toowoomba paramedics to gain further training around cardiac episodes.
Kade Handford died from a heart attack in July 2021, and through his funeral, his family has donated thousands of dollars to the Toowoomba Local Ambulance Committee.
As a result, the LAC has used the donated funds to buy a cardiac mannequin for the town’s paramedics.
“From our understanding, there were three crews there trying to save (Kade’s) life … they did a mighty job and we can’t thank you enough,” Kade’s mum Christine Handford said. “Kade would think that it would be absolutely amazing that losing him is helping so many other people in so many ways.”
Mr Handford was described as a bubbly person who always had time for others.
At his funeral, Mrs Handford said her family was blown away by the love shown to her “mischievous son”, who was full of life and working hard to better himself by going to the gym multiple times a week.
“Heart attacks can happen to anyone at any age,” she said. “Kade was very fit. He was very proud of how he was feeling and looking.
“At my last lunch with him, he was saying ‘Look at this Mum, I’m doing really well’ (while patting his stomach). A week later, he had passed away very unexpectedly.”
Mrs Handford said it was determined that a build-up of plaque in his arteries was the reason her son, business owner of Kage Fabrication, had died.
Due to his age, warning signs of his health were dismissed as a result of simply pushing it too far at the gym.
From a shortness of breath after a workout, to getting a headache with peripheral vision disturbance, Mr Handford reportedly did not think his symptoms were anything to be concerned about. But his experiences were now saving the lives of friends who have been checked for heart problems and potentially dangerous problems found.
Queensland Ambulance Service Darling Downs and South West Assistant Commissioner Michelle Baxter said the cardiac mannequin meant an “awful lot” to the organisation.