$25k donation from Jim Hudson Foundation will pay for 10 AED machines at local parks

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Many young adults across the Midlands enjoy exercising or playing sports at a local park. But what would happen in the event one of them had a cardiac emergency?

The Jim Hudson Foundation is aiming to make sure life saving equipment is available in these critical areas.

According to the American Heart Association, 23,000 young people go into cardiac arrest while exercising every year.

But if an automated external defibrillator, or AED machine as they’re more commonly known, is available, lives can be saved in the event of an emergency.

The Jim Hudson Foundation is hoping to help with that. Keith Hudson is announcing a $25,000 donation to the American Heart Association to help purchase and place AEDs in strategic recreational sites across Columbia and Lexington.

“We were approached by the American Heart Association, talking about the need for parks and recreation, that they need these out at ballfields and other spaces, so we thought this would be a great way to partner with them to provide 10 AEDs. Not only 10 AEDs but training with the AEDs and how to use those as well as CPR training, which we know is vital if someone goes into cardiac arrest,” says Hudson.

But, says Crystal Kirkland with the American Heart Association of the Midlands, no training is necessary to use an AED machine.

“We do have questions from time to time, ‘Will I know how to use an AED in the event of an emergency??’ They’ve came a long way. So now when you look at an AED it will literally say, ‘Press here,’ — big green button. And then there’s an automated, it tells you, talks you through the process. They will tell you where to put the probes, when to press the button, and kind of really walk you through it and make a simple process for anyone involved,” Kirkland says.

Randy Davis, the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Columbia, says the AEDs simply help provide peace of mind.

“We wanted to make sure that you know that we’re taking care of our citizens as well as our staff. We want them to feel safe and know that they’re in the best of care,” Davis says.

According to the AHA, while CPR is extremely important as well when used in conjunction with the AED machine, the AED machine can actually restart a person’s heart, giving them three times the likelihood of surviving a cardiac emergency.