We are pleased to have received a grant from The Hopey’s Heart Foundation AED Grant Program for an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) that is currently in place on Hurricane.
Josie Gates, Oakley Jackson, Silas Rogers and Boomer. Hurricane Island Safety Squad
The Hopey’s Heart Foundation was formed in memory of Tina Charles’ late aunt Maureen “Hopey” Vaz, who died of multiple organ failure in 2013. Hopey was known for having a very giving heart and when her own heart failed it was a tragic loss to her family. The Hopey’s Heart Foundation was founded to prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest from claiming the lives of promising student athletes and it is committed to providing AEDs nationally for the prevention of heart and other injuries in student and amateur athletes through the provision of health education and medical equipment in schools, community and recreational centers.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States, with nearly 383,000 out of hospital SCA’s occurring annually. Having an AED close by, especially in a remote environment like Hurricane, can mean the difference between life and death for a victim of SCA. Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors. SCA is indiscriminate towards race, age & gender. With every minute that goes by, survival rates without AED and other medical intervention drop up to 10 percent. The American Heart Association has reported survival rates of 40-50% where AED programs have been successfully implemented.
We are committed to safety of our participants and the visitors who come to Hurricane Island and are extremely grateful to the Hopey’s Heart Foundation for providing us with this life saving resource that will be added to our rescue and medical equipment on the island. The majority of our staff has been trained in Wilderness First Aid, as Wilderness First Responders or as Wilderness EMT’s. We hope to never have to use the AED, but are grateful to have it as a resource in the event of an unfortunate emergency.
Thank you again to The Hopey’s Heart Foundation for providing this amazing and life saving opportunity.
