AHA volunteer says CPR, AEDs are lifesavers

I'm like many of you. I'm a New Jersey resident and a father, I'm involved in my community, and I go to work every day. And like many of you, I never gave too much thought to the importance of CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) - that is, until I died June 28 on a baseball field.

I'm writing on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA) to urge New Jersey residents, citizens and parents to learn CPR and support AED programs in your community at all athletic and sports facilities, such as ball fields, gyms, arenas and stadiums.

The year prior to my incident, some parent coaches and I worked to obtain an AED for our baseball/softball association. It was precautionary - to be prepared "just in case." Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. graciously helped us with the AED acquisition, but I never imagined it would be my life that would be saved.

Last June, I went to see my son play in a baseball game. For some reason, I went to the wrong field. But for me, it was the "right" field that day because the AED was at that cluster of ball fields. I was having a conversation when I suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest. I was 53 years old, and I was clinically dead. I had no heartbeat, no pulse, and I was not breathing.

Surviving cardiac arrest, which kills at least 250,000 people every year, is all about "time," says the American Heart Association. Few victims survive after 10 minutes. Without early CPR, brain damage can occur in 3-5 minutes.

I was very lucky. Other parents and coaches immediately called 911 and started early CPR, which keeps oxygen going to the brain and buys a little time. The AED was rushed to me, and I was shocked back to life after about seven minutes.

April 8-16 is American Heart Association CPR Week, whose theme this year is "Heroes Aren't Born. They're Trained." How true that is. More than 70 hospitals, health departments and other public sites are partnering with the American Heart Association to offer the lay public CPR training for free.

Learn CPR and you might someday save the life of a parent, child, friend or neighbor, even a baseball coach.

I join with the American Heart Association in urging you to learn CPR and support community AED programs.

For more information, call the association at 1-877-AHA-4CPR, or (732) 821-2610 in New Jersey.

Patrick Cox

Ewing