The foundation aims to raise awareness of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Very few people are aware of the condition, making detection and prevention extremely difficult. By educating the community about the risks, the Joshua Caruso Foundation hopes to empower community members to act quickly in emergency situations.

The Foundation is working toward a $100,000 goal. This money will go toward providing defibrillators for sports clubs and schools in the Newcastle and Hunter region.

Sport is often a trigger for those with HCM. Cases of sudden death among HCM sufferers often occur during exercise, or shortly afterwards. HCM is the most common cause of sudden death in young athletes.

With access to defibrillators, sports clubs are able to administer potentially life-saving first aid in an emergency. During a life-threatening cardiac arrest, a defibrillator (in combination with CPR) is vital to survival. The device delivers electric shocks, jumpstarting the heart and helping return it to a regular rhythm. Defibrillators are expensive, and so many clubs don’t have access to this life saving technology. The minutes spent waiting for an ambulance could be the difference between a full recovery and a tragic outcome.