On Saturday June 4, 2022, a SaveStation Tower was opened and the AED inside was used to help save a young girl’s life. 13-year-old Nina was playing in a soccer tournament at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA, when she suddenly collapsed on the field. Her coach was quick to call 911 while her father Tom Taft and a nearby nurse recognized that she was in sudden cardiac arrest and immediately began performing CPR.
An employee of the Sports Complex ran to retrieve the AED housed inside the 24/7 accessible SaveStation Tower. Within those first few critical minutes, the pads from the AED were placed on Nina’s chest and a shock was delivered to resuscitate her. By the time paramedics arrived Nina was breathing again. She was taken to the Seattle Children’s Hospital where she underwent testing and is recovering well from heart surgery.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating this first life saved and so grateful to all who contributed to make this very special save possible,” said Deb Hennig, co-founder of SaveStation.
The SaveStation and life-saving AED were placed less than a year ago thanks to Adam Lang (Founder of the DP Foundation) and Darla Varrenti (Founder of the Nick of Time Foundation), with money raised from a charity golf tournament. The tower and AED were placed in memory of Adam’s friend Daniel Phelps and Darla’s son Nicholas Varrenti – both of whom lost their lives to sudden cardiac arrest at a young age.
A second save also occurred in June 2022, this time in Sonoma, CA. It was just after 9 pm one evening when 16-year-old Michael Serbicki suddenly collapsed while playing outdoor basketball. He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, but because of the immediate actions taken by his friends and quick access to an AED, he is alive today. Nate Jordan, Toby Ford-Monroe and Mason Matulatis knew exactly what to do when they saw their friend collapse, thanks to a CPR class they had taken in school. When they realized that their friend was unresponsive and not breathing they called 911 immediately, started chest compressions, and ran to get the AED from the nearby outdoor SaveStation.
Watch TV interview here.
This SaveStation with its life-saving AED was placed at the Sonoma Valley High School basketball courts less than a year ago, in memory of another Michael – Mike Brindley, who sadly lost his life in 2016. Michael Brindley was only 16 when he also experienced a sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball at a summer camp. After their tragic loss, Kristy and Bob Brindley founded the Just1Mike Foundation to honor their son. Their mission is to prevent any more deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by educating the public about the importance of CPR, advocating for quick access to AEDs and promoting youth heart screenings.
SOURCE: SaveStation