HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is announcing the donation of an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the Destin Chamber of Commerce to help save lives.
The donation was inspired by a recent cardiac emergency involving the daughter of a Destin Chamber board member. A young woman in her 20s, she experienced ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm that can cause cardiac arrest, while at work. Coworkers who were trained in CPR and the use of an AED responded immediately, helping save her life.
“She is a preschool teacher and was about to gather her kids up from nap time when she suddenly collapsed,” stated Robert McFarland, Destin Chamber board member. “Thankfully, all staff members have been trained in CPR and AED, and they immediately ran to her aid and started CPR. After two sets of CPR compressions and three AED shocks, my daughter finally came back. If it was not for the quick action by the trained school staff to immediately run to her aid, she would not be here today.”
Following the incident, the Destin Chamber contacted HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital about obtaining an AED for its own facility, and the hospital offered to donate the equipment.
“When someone in our Chamber family experiences a life-threatening cardiac emergency, it brings home just how important it is to be prepared,” said Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce. “We are incredibly grateful to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital for providing this AED and the training to go along with it. We hope we never have to use it, but knowing our team will have both the equipment and the knowledge to respond in those critical first moments gives us tremendous peace of mind.”
As part of the donation, Destin Chamber staff and board members will receive hands-on training on how to use the AED and respond during a cardiac emergency. The training is designed to help participants become more familiar with the equipment and better prepared to take action in an emergency.
“When sudden cardiac arrest happens, every minute matters, and having an AED nearby can give bystanders an important tool to help while first responders are on the way,” said KC Donahey, CEO, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. “We are happy to provide this AED to the Destin Chamber of Commerce and help strengthen emergency preparedness for an organization that serves so many people in our community. We hope this equipment is never needed, but we want the Chamber team to have the resources and confidence to act if it is.”
Automated external defibrillators are designed to provide lifesaving intervention when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. By making AEDs more accessible and pairing the equipment with training, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is helping community partners build greater preparedness for cardiac emergencies.
