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Sabine experienced the unimaginable on Friday 16 August 2024 when her husband, Greg, went into sudden cardiac arrest right in front of her.

They had just finished dinner with Sabine’s mother. Greg stood up from the table, then sat back down again, pale and breathless. He was dizzy… then chest pain. Not quite the same pain as his heart attack two years earlier – but something was terribly wrong.

Sabine’s instincts kicked in. A former cardiac nurse, she recognised the signs. She picked up the phone and immediately called Triple Zero (000).

The seconds felt like hours.

And then – just as she heard the faint wail of ambulance sirens somewhere in the distance – Greg stopped breathing.

Sabine’s world narrowed to that one terrifying moment. Her husband, unconscious. No heartbeat. It’s a situation you never think you will be faced with. But she knew what to do.

She moved quickly as the paramedic arrived and helped get Greg to the floor. Sabine started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while the paramedic applied the defibrillator.

Two shocks. Three rounds of CPR. Ten agonising minutes.
And then – a flicker of life. Greg began to regain consciousness.

“It was the longest ten minutes of my life,” Sabine recalled.

He was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital under lights and sirens. Even the tram tracks on North Terrace were cleared to get him there faster. Doctors believe the cardiac arrest was caused by scar tissue from his previous heart attack. He’s since had an internal defibrillator implanted – and he’s one of the lucky ones.

Today, Greg is recovering well. But he is only here because Sabine knew what to do.
And here’s something that makes this even more powerful: Greg had been booked in to complete a CPR course with St John the following Monday. Instead, Sabine called us to explain why he couldn’t attend – because he had gone into cardiac arrest just three days earlier.

Sabine credits her ability to act – without hesitation – to the annual CPR refresher training she’s completed with St John Ambulance SA. It gave her the confidence to save her husband’s life.

“Even though I hadn’t worked in a hospital for 30 years, I kept up my CPR training with St John. I never imagined I’d need it like this – but I’m so grateful I did.”

Can you imagine being in Sabine’s position? Watching someone you love – your partner, parent, friend – suddenly collapse. Would you know what to do?

Every day, our volunteers and first aid trainers are out in the community teaching these lifesaving skills. Through our first aid courses, First Aid in Schools program, and community CPR education sessions, we’re helping more people be ready to respond – just like Sabine.

But we need your help.

Will you make a tax-deductible gift before June 30 to help save more lives? 

Your donation will help deliver CPR and first aid training to more South Australians. It will support our volunteers with essential equipment, and fund community programs that empower people with the confidence to step in when every second counts.

Because of people like you, St John Ambulance SA trained thousands of South Australians in lifesaving skills last year. But with almost 30,000 sudden cardiac arrests occurring in Australia each year, we need even more people to know how to do CPR and use a defibrillator. 

Your gift today can help make that possible.

If you’re able, please donate before 30 June. Help give more people the chance to save a life – just like Sabine did.

Your generosity today, could mean someone gets a second chance at life tomorrow.

Thank you for your incredible support.