Pedal Angels deliver life-saving equipment
Defibrillators and training provided
It’s safe to assume that most people who walk through the doors of Napper’s Boxing Club in Welland are in decent shape.
Boxing is one of the most strenuous forms of exercise imaginable, one that takes stamina and, one would imagine, a healthy kicker.
However, it still makes sense that a representative from a team of Niagara paramedics who have spent the past few years placing life-saving heart defibrillators throughout the region were at the club recently to deliver another one of these devices.
After all, cardiac arrests can come on suddenly, with the conditions leading up to one being silent. And although regular exercise strengthens the heart, lowering the risk of cardiac problems over the long term, a strenuous workout can increase the immediate risk.
Ray Napper, head coach at the gym, said boxing is the very definition of a strenuous workout.
“Boxing’s the toughest of tough workouts,” he said, adding his gym cross trains many other types of athletes, such as hockey players, to help them keep in shape during the off season. “We get a lot of people in here.”
Napper’s also has a wide variety of people step inside the ring.
“We’re dealing with people upwards of 74 years old working out here,” he said.
Napper has seen first hand how quickly things can go sour. While at a softball game 14 years ago, he was standing just two feet away when his friend’s father dropped dead from an attack.
His grandfather also died from a heart attack.
Having an automatic external defibrillator on hand can make all the difference. AEDs are becoming increasingly common in public spaces, such as arenas and gyms. Designed to be used by anyone, the devices have audio prompts guiding rescuers on how to use them properly and will not deliver a charge unless the patient is actually experiencing cardiac arrest.
In Niagara, dozens have been placed in all sorts of locations, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Pedal Angels, who in recent years have raised more than $114,000 — initially through participation in a subcategory of the massive Ride for Heart in Toronto and more recently in local fundraising events such as volleyball tournaments.
Not only have they delivered more than 50 AEDs, the Niagara Angels have also provided training to some 1,100 potential community responders to help give people confidence in using them.
Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedic Al Doneff, who was on hand to deliver the AED, said the Niagara Angels, working with Heart Niagara, are in the process of setting up a local ride.
Apart from Napper’s, the Angels also delivered the devices to Safari Niagara and Port Dalhousie Yacht Club.
Anywhere that receives a large number of visitors is an ideal location, he said. That’s why they’re also in the midst of setting up a loaner program, so people holding an event, such as a wedding, can have an AED on hand.
“It saves lives, that’s the bottom line,” he said. “It’s that chain of survival. Early access to these units and early CPR saves lives.”