Whitley schools holding walk to buy defibrillators

At least 175 people are expected to turn out Saturday to help raise nearly $21,000 to place automatic external defibrillators (AED’s) in every Whitley County school.
The AED’s are devices, which are about the size of a bowling ball bag, that are designed to save someone’s life in the event of a heart attack.
“The statistics are that between 220,000 and 250,000 people die annually from sudden cardiac arrest at public schools,” said Whitley County Middle School Principal Rich Prewitt, one of the event organizers. “Just as little as a couple of months ago, Pulaski County lost a kid in one of their schools. It was only about 15 to 20 years ago that Whitley County lost a kid in one of their schools.
“The opportunity to save a life with one of these pieces of equipment is obviously there. The equipment is so much better right now than it has ever been before. I think it is time for us to put a defibrillator in every school.”
The Your Heart for our Heart Valentine 5K Run/Walk will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Whitley County central campus with a gun start.
“The Your Heart for our Heart theme is based upon the fact that we were hoping people would dig down into their heart and see what the need was in our community,” Prewitt said.
“Our plans are to try and raise as much of the $21,000 as possible. Prior to collecting any pledges, we are probably a little more than halfway there.”
More than $10,000 has been raised so far.
As of Monday morning, 175 people had committed to walking in the event. Each has pledged to raise at least $31. Nearly 75 corporate sponsors and community leaders have pitched in between $50 and $500 each as well.
The Whitley County Board of Education has agreed to pick up the remaining tab if the fundraiser falls short of its goal.
“I don’t know exactly where we are at this particular point, but I do feel like it is just a matter of time before we get pretty close to the $21,000,” Prewitt said.
The AED is an emergency device that takes people step by step through the process of trying to get someone’s heart pumping again, from where to place their hands to administer CPR to administering electric shocks if needed.
“When you get to a cardiac patient, the crucial time is within minutes,” said Whitley County EMS Capt. Shawn Jackson. “If you turn this on, it leads you through every one of the steps. You check for responsiveness. If there is no responsiveness you give two breaths. If they are not breathing, you connect two electrodes, and the diagram shows you right where to put it, and the correct position to put your hands for CPR,” Jackson said.
“It tells you when to start CPR. It will tell you to stop CPR. It will tell you when not to touch the patient and even when to shock the patient and you simply touch the button. After that it will tell you to continue CPR, and basically it leads you step to step to step, and they continue that level of care until we arrive with an ambulance and a higher level of care.”
Jackson said the machine will even tell emergency workers not to administer a shock if one isn’t needed.
Whitley County EMS Director Kelly Harrison said that given the size the county and the remoteness of certain areas, it is often difficult to get an ambulance to communities like Poplar Creek, Nevisdale, and Boston in a hurry, and that the first 10 minutes is key during a heart attack.
In many cases, it takes ambulances 15 minutes to get to their destination under the best circumstances, and with heavy traffic and inclement weather, that figure can rise.
“In Nevisdale, we are looking at a 20 to 30 minute estimated time of arrival,” she said. “I hope they raise the money with the walk. It will be a benefit and hopefully save a life out in the county.”
Prewitt said all faculty members will be trained on the use of the devices, and that eventually students may also receive training.
Last June, the American Heart Association started a campaign to get the machines publicized and to try and increase awareness about how badly they are needed, said Harrison.
“They are going public wide. We are targeting public awareness out there through the American Heart Association. We are trying to push them into the public libraries, major factories, and any place that has over 100 personnel,” said Harrison, who is an instructor with the American Heart Association.
“They are very important. They can actually save a life. In your basic CPR, you breathe for the patient and you circulate the heart and the oxygen in the blood. With an automatic external defibrillator, it will actually shock the heart and bring them back to life if it is meant to be,” Harrison said.
In the case of Whitley County, Prewitt said each school will have hundreds of students and faculty members there during the day, and often will have ballgames and other events at night that can bring in a few hundred people as well.
During graduation ceremonies, as many as 8,000 people might be on the central campus.
The Whitley County Fiscal Court recently received grant money to purchase five AED’s that the county is currently in the process of distributing throughout the county. The machines have already been distributed to Patterson Creek Volunteer Fire Department and the City of Williamsburg.
Prewitt said the Whitley County District Health Committee decided to put on the fundraiser to buy the defibrillators about a month ago.
“We try to look at some different aspects of the kids health in regards to the schools, and the faculty’s health,” Prewitt said.
Initially, the committee wanted to organize some type of fitness event each month, and had wanted to set up a road race on the central campus. Then it decided to incorporate the walk as a means of raising money to buy the defibrillators.
The event has been in the planning stages for about a month.
Prewitt said that organizers initially started contacting businesses to raise money to buy shirts for event participants.
“When we got to the phones, nobody wanted to say no,” Prewitt said. “Somebody can ask you will you donate to the yearbook or to the basketball team, and you know what kind of impact that has, and that certainly is necessary.
“It is very few times that you can really put something in place in a school that can actually save a kids life, or yours.”
Prewitt said he has been impressed by how many people have wanted to give so much.
In the event of rain or snow, the event will be moved inside, but Prewitt said that hopefully won’t be necessary.
“If the weather holds out, it is suppose to be the warmest day of the week, Saturday,” he added.
Anyone interested in taking part in the walk or making a donation can contact their local county school.