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    GRATEFUL: Kaniva’s Rita and Praneel Kumar, centre, thank Ambulance Victoria paramedics and ambulance community officers, ACOs, for saving Praneel’s life after he had a cardiac arrest at school last year. Picture: ANNIE AUSTIN

‘Incredible’ result celebrated at Kaniva

Kaniva’s Praneel Kumar has reunited with Ambulance Victoria paramedics and community officers who helped saved his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest last year. 

Praneel, now 14, was running into his year-seven classroom on December 2 when he collapsed suddenly, hitting his face on a nearby desk. 

First on scene was a Kaniva College staff member and ambulance community officer, ACO, Leonie Shurdington, who was alerted to Praneel’s medical episode by a fellow student. 

A second off-duty ACO, not on campus, was also alerted and responded.



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Paramedic Tristan Terry, who at the time was acting as West Wimmera paramedic community support co-ordinator, said Ambulance Victoria collectively referred to volunteers as first responders and they included ACOs.

“ACOs are employed on a casual basis to work at either a community or a paramedic branch and are trained to provide advanced first-aid,” he said.

“They are critical in supporting rural and remote communities where the ambulance caseload is low, the ambulance branch is not staffed on a full-time basis, or where the paramedic is not generally rostered to work with a second paramedic.”

Mr Terry said Ms Shurdington and the second off-duty ACO, alongside several Kaniva College staff, worked collaboratively to manage the scene and look after Praneel.

“A true local team effort,” he said. 

Ms Shurdington called triple zero and initiated effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, with help from two school staff members, before another school employee retrieved the school’s automated external defibrillator, AED.

Mr Terry said ACO teams from Kaniva and Nhill, as well as paramedics, arrived shortly after Praneel went into cardiac arrest.

“Praneel was unresponsive and had no pulse, so CPR was continued by the Kaniva ACO team, in conjunction with several shocks administered by the AED, successfully restarting Praneel’s heart,” he said.

An AED is used to analyse a person’s heart rhythm and if required, can shock a person’s heart back into a functioning rhythm.

Mr Terry said Ms Shurdington and the bystanders’ quick thinking, effective CPR followed by the use of the school’s AED all contributed to a positive outcome. 

“AV really commends our fellow off-duty ACO colleagues who swung into action and the Kaniva College staff members who quickly recognised that CPR needed to be done and immediately assisted with effective chest compressions,” he said. 

“Pre-hospital care in Victoria is world class, but it all starts when a bystander steps in and starts compressions. Once someone starts CPR, the chances of survival for a cardiac arrest doubles.”

Mr Terry said early CPR and defibrillation were critical steps that helped save the lives of people in sudden cardiac arrest.

“Anyone can save a life in three simple steps. Call, Push, Shock: Call triple zero, push hard, push fast on the middle of the chest, shock using an AED,” he said. 

Mr Terry said the result of Praneel’s case was ‘incredible’.

“This was a fantastic outcome for Praneel and provides an excellent example of the positive difference that bystander CPR and applying an AED can make – it’s amazing,” he said.

Praneel was flown by an Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, where he spent two and a half weeks before being discharged and spending a further seven weeks in Melbourne, to ensure cardiologists could monitor the early stages of his recovery. 

Praneel’s mother Rita Kumar said her son was fitted with an internal defibrillator and a pacemaker.

“It was an absolute shock when the school called me to tell me Praneel had collapsed,” she said.

“Praneel had no pre-existing heart conditions and we have no family history of heart issues, so this came from out of the blue.”