Volunteerism in Action: The Lifesaving Journey of Venod Kesavan

Venod Kesavan is a familiar figure in the lifesaving courses conducted regularly by the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF). As a volunteer instructor, he imparts the skills for Basic Cardiac Life Support and AED, and he has been doing this since 2010. His experience, however, dates further back. He joined a uniform group in 2000 and was tasked with passing on CPR+AED skills to secondary school cadets. Eventually, he became a certified trainer, entrusted with the right and privilege to teach adult participants.

As a volunteer instructor, he met many participants, each with an unique objective in undertaking his courses. The most memorable encounter was at a Restart a Heart session he conducted for a group of golfers. Motivated by the harrowing experience of a friend’s cardiac arrest on the golf course, these individuals turned their grief into action and sought to equip themselves with lifesaving skills.

“Although there were moments when the guilt and disappointment of not being equipped with the skill to save their friend was evident on their faces, their determination not to dwell in regrets, but to take constructive steps to become better was truly inspiring,” Venod shared.

As an established lifesaving instructor, Venod finds fulfilment in empowering others with the motivation and ability to give a cardiac arrest victim the chance of survival. It is also through his volunteering experience that he secures the opportunity to empathise with the people on the frontline, and to better the lives of others in need.

He plays his part as an active first responder in the community. Classifying the myResponder app as the “perfect tool to practise what we preach”, he has responded to seven cases since registering on the app in 2015. While not all the cases have had a happy ending, he is motivated to the rate of out-of-hospital survival, and he is assured that agencies such as SHF and SCDF will help to allay fears; and to overcome any barriers that first responders like himself would face.

Venod invites those contemplating on giving back to impart their skills or to step up as a first responder where possible. He affirms that, “It’s through giving that we truly receive – the universe finds a way to return the good deed done.”