Elysha was a warm hearted, kind, caring, sporty, determined spark of energy.  She couldn’t sit still for long.  Elysha was always moving: jumping, springing, skipping, climbing, swimming or running.  The trampoline, a tree, a pool, the stream, the bush or the track – these were her playgrounds. She was always outside – and if she was outside and it was raining she loved it! But Elysha’s favourite thing was running. She had to run. She had a notebook that she would write in, and it has “I love running!” written in it numerous times. She had race times she wanted to achieve posted on her wall. Running was Elysha’s happy place. Elysha would run on the Heritage trail, Darlington Oval or we would take her up to Mundaring Recreation Ground.

It was on the oval at Mundaring Recreation Ground on the 26^th January 2019 where tragedy struck. Keryn, Elysha and Aidan had gone to the oval so Elysha could do an easy training run. After Elysha’s training run she collapsed on the oval.  When Keryn and Aidan reached her they knew that something was seriously wrong.  Elysha wasn’t breathing. Aidan called the ambulance and Keryn commenced CPR until the ambulance arrived.  Then began the week that no one should have to go through. We think of the 26^th January as the day Elysha died – she never regained consciousness and Elysha’s life support was turned off on Thursday 31^st January.  Elysha was 14.

Elysha had a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. According to St John’s Australia, Sudden Cardiac Arrest strikes about 30,000 Australians every year. Unfortunately fewer than 5 per cent survive, often because they cannot reach help in time. It is critical that an Automated External Defibrillator is used within minutes to maximise survivability. For every minute a person waits for defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10%. There were two defibrillators located within the Mundaring Arena building less than 200 metres away, but as it was Australia Day the facility was closed. It took 12 minutes for the ambulance to arrive.