The Power of One
by Keith Griffiths

The photos of 24 survivors of sudden cardiac arrest grace the cover of this special supplement. Their life--and death--stories are as rich and varied as the people who saved them: Chief Lee Donohue, 57, of the Honolulu Police Department, saved by his own officers after championing AEDs for his department; Sean Morley, 13, saved by the quick presence of the Deerfield, Illinois Police Department, after his heart stopped when a baseball struck his chest; Christine Hammond, 53, saved because of a remarkable program that uses security personnel at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas. They represent the fortunate seven percent, the current national average for survival from sudden cardiac arrest. The Chain of Survival in their communities was strong, with early defibrillation quickly available. But statistics reveal that for every survivor pictured on the cover there are 15 people who were not saved, 15 families mourn. What will it take to reach more victims with the life-saving treatment of defibrillation quickly enough to make a difference? Sometimes, all it takes is one person - a passionate, persistent person - to transform a community.

Jay Frederick, of Columbus, Indiana, is one such community champion. As a detective with the Bartholomew County Sheriff Department Frederick learned of the lifesaving potential of AEDs. He approached the sheriff about getting AEDs for all patrol cars. "He said if I could get the funding, I should just go for it," said Frederick, and so he did. He approached leaders from the police department, sheriff department, fire department and the hospital-based ambulance service to form a community action task force. "It was easy to get their support," said Frederick. "Once you know what AEDs can do, it’s kind of hard to think it’s a bad idea." They formed a non-profit organization, Bartholomew County (BC) HeartSavers, Inc., making donations tax deductible, critical for fundraising. They launched a website (www.bcheartsavers.org) along with a PR campaign which gained extensive media coverage.

A widow presented the first donation, explaining she didn’t have much, but wanted to contribute to a cause she considered important. It was followed by generous donations from local civic organizations, area residents and businesses. In two years, the group raised $100,000, enough to train 61 deputies and equip all road patrolmen, seven volunteer fire departments and the town marshall.

On November 1, 2000, Wayne Fleetwood, 56, pictured on our cover, became the first save from the program, after collapsing in his home. Sgt. T.A. Smith, an 18-year veteran of the BC Sheriff Department, was first on the scene and used his new AED to deliver the lifesaving shock. As his wife and daughter looked on, Fleetwood regained consciousness. When paramedics arrived, he was alert and talking. Just days later he went home from the hospital.

Like most community champions, Frederick does not like to be singled out and is quick to credit others. Frederick, now an officer with the Columbus Police Department and volunteer firefighter, says the rewards for his efforts come from seeing survivors able to enjoy the small pleasures of life, like the time he was invited to the Fleetwood home for cake and ice cream--on the one-year anniversary of Wayne’s new life.

There are many such community champions...Dr. Leon Anderson in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was able to overcome initial skepticism among police in his area ("we’re not doctors") to launch a highly successful and popular program there...Vincent Jones, III, emergency management coordinator in Atlantic County, New Jersey, who worked with a variety of police, medical and political partners to train over 1,110 police officers in the use of AEDs and to provide at no cost two defibrillators for every patrol unit in their county...Dr. Ed Racht who promoted the use of AEDs and already has seen four saves at the airport there, (including his colleague Gary Terry - pictured on the cover - former chair of the Texas Affiliate of the American Heart Association, who worked for the placement of AEDs in public places in Texas)...Susie Martenson, RN and Dr. Pat Tinker, a cardiologist with the BlueStem Medical Clinic, who created one of the earliest public access programs in Bartlesville, Oklahoma..Wayne Currie who's taken AED implementation to new levels with an innovative neighborhood watch program in Windsor, Ontario...Scott Ben and Chief Lamonte Wilson, who led efforts for AED placement at Pittsburgh International Airport and saw the program produce two saves within three months of deployment...Dr. David Persse, EMS director, in Houston, a persistent champion for integrating the community's AED program with the EMS system...Dr. Randall Wolff of Palm Beach County Florida, whose passion resulted in AEDs throughout his community and in one third of the high schools there...Richard Hardman, PhD, EMT-P, EMS coordinaotr for the Clark County (NV) Fire Department, whose efforts resulted in AED placement in casinos throughout Clark County, including Las Vegas, and the training of thousands of security guards with dozens of saves.