By Jodie Symonds
Launching Place’s Bianca Kennedy has been recognised for saving her father’s life, receiving an Ambulance Victoria Bystander Commendation award on Thursday 9 February.
In November, 2016, Kevin Kennedy, a 62-year-old truck driver, awoke at midnight, felt unwell and called for his daughter to assist.
As Mr Kennedy was diabetic, Ms Kennedy immediately checked his blood sugar levels, saw they were low and had a ‘gut feeling’ to call triple-zero.
Thirty seconds into the phone call, Mr Kennedy stopped breathing, went into a cardiac arrest and lost consciousness.
The triple-zero operator directed Ms Kennedy to perform CPR on her father – something she had never done before.
Ms Kennedy said that through adrenaline and quick-thinking she began to perform CPR for seven minutes before paramedics arrived.
“Nothing was going through my mind,” Ms Kennedy said.
Advanced Life Support paramedic Chris King attended and said if it wasn’t for Ms Kennedy the result would have been “devastating”.
“When we got there Bianca was in the room and had dragged Kevin off the bed to perform CPR,” Mr King said.
“It was the best standard of CPR (by a bystander) I have ever seen.
“Kevin was in cardiac arrest for a total of 50 minutes.”
He said the Mobile Intensive Care Paramedics (MICA) intubated Kevin using a breathing tube to assist him to breathe.
Mr Kennedy was flown by an air ambulance to The Alfred hospital where he spent one week in intensive care, before he was transferred to a cardiac ward.
When he awoke, medical staff told him he was alive because of his daughter’s outstanding efforts.
Mr King said it was rare for somebody to be back to normal after a horrific experience like cardiac arrest, but is happy that Mr Kennedy is back to his usual self.
“I was so surprised to hear he had been discharged,” Mr King said.
“It’s surreal … it’s good to see him in a better light.
The paramedics reunited with the Kennedys on Thursday 9 February, to talk about the night and congratulate Ms Kennedy for saving her father’s life.
Ms Kennedy said she recommends others to undertake first aid certificate training.
Mr Kennedy told the Mail how proud he was of his daughter.
“She’s not a big cuddly one but I like to give her hugs,” he said.
“It’s because of her I’m still here.”
