AED Defibrillator Saves Life in High School

Speed Matters in Tennis and Sudden Cardiac Arrest 4 APR 12 The late American tennis player Eugene Scott once said: “Speed in tennis is a strange mixture of intuition, guesswork, footwork and hair-trigger reflexes.”

For one man, it was this kind of agility from another player that saved his life. Recently, Dr. Alan “Rico” Rich, a 72-year-old retired ophthalmologist, was ready for another day of tennis at Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Florida, when he went into sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on the court.

One court over, anesthesiologist Dr. Duane Baker moved quickly to get the Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED) from the club’s tennis pro and started lifesaving measures with a HeartSine® AED until paramedics arrived and could take over.

Dr. Baker’s tennis-honed reflexes allowed him to move quickly in the critical minutes after Dr. Rich’s cardiac arrest, which made all the difference for Dr. Rich’s full recovery.

To celebrate and recognise lifesaving events like this, HeartSine has started the new Forward Hearts program.

This program allows individuals who have survived a sudden cardiac arrest event, to give a HeartSine donated samaritan® PAD 300P Public Access Defibrillator to the charity or organisation of their choice.

Dr. Rich selected Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College in Lakeland to receive a HeartSine AED in his honour.