Here at AEDs Today, we always enjoy sharing a story of a
life saved by an AED, or of communities coming together to bring AEDs to places
where they previously weren't available.
This week, we found a few different stories of generous
donations of AEDs to some communities that really needed them.
It does our hearts good to see these lifesaving devices
being made available in more and more places all across the country!
The Janet Fund
donates five AEDs to New Jersey schools
Losing a child to sudden cardiac arrest is something no
parent should ever have to go through.
Thanks to Jim and Karen Zillinski, whose daughter Janet died
after suffering from SCA, five New Jersey schools now have a much better chance
of preventing such a tragedy.
In addition to the donation of five new AEDs, CPR/AED
training was offered to staff members at all five schools. 3,300 students will
now have a much better chance of a surviving an attack of SCA.
The Janet Fund, created in Janet Zillinski's memory, has
donated about 180 AEDs since its creation in 2008.
They were also instrumental in the passing of Janet's Law,
which states that every school in New Jersey must have an AED available on
premises, starting Sept. 1 of this year.
High school student
leads campaign AED to local field
Thanks to Jackson Furbee, a high school junior in Central
Ohio, Pierce Field in Grandview Heights will now be a much safer place.
As part of a community service project, Furbee decided that
the local field would greatly benefit from an AED. His original plan was to
donate one to the community pool, but the City Council beat him to it.
Pierce Field is a central part of the Grandview Heights
community, and is often the site of festivals along with baseball and softball
games.
After a year’s worth of fundraising efforts, Furbee was able
to raise $1,800, enough to purchase an AED as well as pediatric pads to make it
safe to use on children.
The most impressive part? Jackson Furbee spearheaded this
project entirely on his own, not because of any sort of requirement or
recognition.
He just wanted to do something that would benefit his
community.
50 AEDs donated in
honor of little girl’s memory
Madison McCarthy was just five years old when she succumbed
to SCA at her kindergarten in 2001.
Now, thirteen years later, her mother continues to honor her
memory by preventing other parents from suffering the same loss.
50 AEDs were donated to western New York volunteer fire
departments thanks in part to efforts by the Madison McCarthy Cardiac Care
Coalition for Children foundation, started by Suzy McCarty.
To date, McCarthy’s foundation has saved 96 lives, 49 of
which were children.