On October 23, 2015 our son Andrew suddenly and for no apparent reason, cardiac arrested during halftime on the Staples soccer field. Andrew survived due to the amazing teamwork of some trained professionals and loving Staples parents.
Andrew was and is a conditioned varsity basketball athlete, with no prior medical history or pre-existing medical condition before this event.
We would like to publically thank Gaetana “G” Deiso (head athletic trainer at Staples), who provided breaths of life and chest compressions to maintain blood and oxygen flow; Tiffany Kinahan (a SCSU intern in athletic training at Staples) who assisted in CPR; Kerry Liles (a nurse and Staples parent) who assisted in CPR; Nicole Donovan (Westport EMT and Staples parent) who also assisted in CPR; Mark and MaryGrace Gudis (Staples parents) who had a defibrillator (AED) in the trunk of their car, which was used to shock Andrew back to life; and Corey Iomonico (assistant Staples athletic trainer) who brought an additional defibrillator to the scene.
Without the quick administration of CPR and the use of the AED, Andrew may not have survived.
In addition we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Westport EMTs, the Westport Police Department, Norwalk Hospital and Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Sudden cardiac arrest affects over 400,000 people a year. Overall the survival statistics are not good. Less than one in 10 survive.
In 2014, Adam Greenlee, a sixth grader at Bedford Middle School, suddenly collapsed during a gym class. He also experienced sudden cardiac arrest. As in Andrew’s case, due to the quick action of trained individuals performing CPR and an available AED, Adam survived. He is now an active eighth grader at BMS.
Following Adam’s episode, his parents started the , an organization whose mission is to raise awareness and funds for treating sudden cardiac arrests. Their goal is to have AED devices permanently installed for use at all of our town’s school athletic fields and gymnasiums.
In addition defibrillators would be purchased for each school as an extra measure of protection for students on field trips or during athletic competitions at other schools. The foundation has partnered with the Westport School District and Westport PAL to help promote this very important cause. The foundation has committed that 100 percent of all donations will be used to buy AEDs and to train school staff and coaches.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?? Please visit http://www.sca-aware.org/donate to contribute and learn more.
Any amount will be greatly appreciated, and you will be potentially saving lives. You can see donation instructions on the above site, in the PayPal option where you can specify “The Adam Greenlee Foundation.” Alternatively you can make contributions by mail, by directly sending a check payable to “The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation ” or “The Adam Greenlee Foundation” to: The Adam Greenlee Foundation, 28 Maple Ave North,Westport, CT 06880.
The fundraising goal is $50,000 by Noember 15. All contributions are tax deductible and will help us get one step closer to making Westport a safer place for all and complete this mission on time.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v2_5/comments/letter_thanks_for_saving_a_life_on_soccer_field/