A new life-saving AED has been installed in Yanderra, turning one family’s heartbreak into a powerful act of community protection.
The publicly accessible defibrillator, located outside the home of local resident Dennise Hanmore, honours her late husband Roy, who died after a sudden cardiac arrest when no AED was nearby.
“Had there been an AED close by, things could have been very different,” Dennise said.
“That’s something you carry with you. You don’t forget it.”
Determined that no other family should face the same helpless wait, Dennise led the installation so the device is available 24 hours a day.
“I didn’t want anyone else to be in the same position,” she said.
“If this can save even one life, then Roy’s story matters.”
Donated by Bargo Sports Club, the AED is part of the Heart Safe Wollondilly initiative, supported by the Wollondilly Business Chamber, Wollondilly Shire Council and local volunteers.
Chamber President Pania Gregson said access is only part of the mission.
“An AED can mean the difference between life and death—but only if people know where to find it,” she said.
Local MP Judith Hannan said the initiative showed a community determined to act.
“What we’re seeing through Heart Safe Wollondilly is a community stepping up—making sure these devices are visible, accessible and ready when they’re needed most,” she said.
For Dennise, the Yanderra AED is more than equipment. It is a tribute to Roy — and a chance to save someone else’s tomorrow.
“He would have been the first to step in,” she said. “Now, in a way, he still is.”
