HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital donated an automated external defibrillator to the Destin Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, a gift inspired by a recent cardiac emergency involving the daughter of a Chamber board member.
- According to the hospital, the woman, who is in her 20s, 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 and helped save her life.
Her father, Destin Chamber board member Robert McFarland, described the moments after she collapsed.
“She is a preschool teacher and was about to gather her kids up from nap time when she suddenly collapsed,” McFarland said. “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 the 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 how to respond during a cardiac emergency. According to the hospital, the training is designed to help participants become more familiar with the equipment and better prepared to act 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 of 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.”
AEDs are designed to provide lifesaving intervention when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. The hospital said that by making AEDs more accessible and pairing the equipment with training, it is helping community partners build greater preparedness for cardiac emergencies.
