At AEDs Today, we love sharing stories of lives being saved
by AEDs or of communities coming together to donate a new AED.
This week, we decided that we couldn’t pick just one!
Wisconsin Rapids
kickball tournament raises money for AEDs
Honestly, what could be better than spending a day playing
sports and listening to live music with your friends?
How about raising money for AEDs for children at the same
time?
That’s exactly what some folks from Wisconsin Rapids got to
do just that this past weekend, when they took part in the second annual Kick Start Your Heart
fundraiser.
The event included a seven-team kickball tournament, live
music, food and contests, and all proceeds went towards buying AEDs for
children’s organizations that had put in requests.
One AED has already been donated to the local YMCA as a
result of the event, and more donations are on the way.
Grieving family
honors son’s memory with AED donation
A.J. and Nancy Barcia know the pain of having a child
tragically taken from them, and they’re doing everything they can to keep other
parents from having to go through it.
In 2005, 17-year-old Chad Barcia was playing in a rugby
match when he collapsed and died after suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.
There was no AED immediately available, something that could have saved his
life.
Since then, his parents have donated
more than 100 AEDs to Louisiana schools and other youth organizations
through the Chad Barcia Athlete Awareness foundation.
Their most recent donation goes to a local school district
and consists of 13 new AEDs.
Tennis player donates
AED after having life saved
Let’s take a quick hop across the pond and take a look at
this AED story from Ireland.
Declan Harkin, 57, was playing a match
at his local tennis club when he suddenly felt weak and collapsed to the
ground.
Luckily, his opponent just happened to work in emergency
services and new exactly what was happening and how to respond. Rob Jenkins
performed CPR and used the club’s AED to shock Harkin back into consciousness.
A week later, Harkin returned to the tennis club to donate
an AED to the man who’d saved his life. Jenkins plans to install the AED at his
own tennis club.