At the heart of what we do is YOUR generosity
Thank You Penn West Exploration
Portable defibrillators, and their power to deliver an electric shock to the heart, save lives. At the DI, we know the power of the life-saving power of this device. Our defibrillator is the most used in Alberta outside of a hospital or an ambulance according to a Calgary EMS official.
Recently, Penn West Exploration enhanced our ability to save lives with a donation that has allowed us to buy 2 more much need defibrillators to place in all of our facilities. That means that whether a client is living in one of our two affordable housing apartment buildings, Bridgeland Manor or Sundial Apartments, or staying on any of the sleeping floors of the main DI or the satellite shelter in Hillhurst, the life-saving power of a defibrillator is just a radio call away.
This is how Penn West is making a difference in our community by helping – literally – to save lives.
Thank you Penn West. Your difference keeps hearts beating!
When the pain hit, Tom thought it might be indigestion. The discomfort grew and still he kept trying to ignore it. The past few years had taught him that making a fuss about life’s pains didn’t get him anything other than more heartache – why make a fuss now?
But this time was different. This time, Tom’s heart stopped.
Three years before sitting on that chair, Tom had a wife, a home, and a job. And then, it all fell apart. His wife left him, he lost his job and eventually, his home. It was a fast downward spiral that, at the age of 51, trapped him in an addiction. Tom lost hope. He ended up at the DI, searching for a way out, searching for a place to call home.
On that afternoon, sitting silently with a pain in his chest, Tom tried to brush it off like he’d done all the other things that had gone wrong. But the moments between believing it was indigestion to fearing it was a heart attack sped by. Suddenly, he was on the floor, his heart silenced as a staff member raced to his side. Within seconds, a second staff member arrived with the defibrillator and with one surge of energy, Tom’s heart found its beat.
He’s getting back on his feet again. The heart attack was a wake-up call and Tom is heeding its message.
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