Walk with the Spirit

Hello, Fellow Walkers. How are your personal journeys? I haven't done another tally since I blogged last, but I know that I gained a few miles this week as I spent a few hours working on the school's garden. I need to tally it up so that I can be excited about my personal journey. Can hardly wait to see how far our group has traveled together.

Rough Rock.....Here we come!!

This week, I thought I would discuss the benefits of our church owning an Automatic External Defibrillator. Were you aware that our hope was to raise enough funds to purchase one? I did a quick Google search and it looks like it would cost roughly $1200. If all of us walkers were to give up just one of our small "luxuries" for one week...I bet we could do it!! Let's do it!! Are you up to the challenge?

I am sure that there are some of you wondering why in the world we should spend the money on such an expensive piece of machinery that we hope that we never have to use. And we truly hope that, should the church own one, we truly hope that we will never have to use it. Same deal with insurance....we have it in the hope that we never have to use it. But, in the case of an emergency, how relieved we would be to have one on the premises.

Here are a few details that I discovered on the American Heart website. In the case of cardiac arrest, if early CPR and defibrillation are performed within 3-5 minutes, the chance of long term survival hits over 50%. CPR alone will not save a victim of cardiac arrest. It will only buy the victim more time as it maintains blood flow to the heart and brain. CPR is important in the process...but its value is lessened if defibrillation occurs later than 8-12 minutes. Having an AED on the premises would definitely garner those precious minutes in our favor!

Sudden death by cardiac arrest occurs over 900 times per day in the United States. Cardiac risks stand at 1 in 1000 per year for adults ages 35 and older. In children, 0.5 to 1 in 100,000 per year for children. I think I was a little shocked by the 900 times per day. 900 times! It kind of makes me feel like it is only a matter of time before a member of Sherwood Community Friends Church falls victim to a cardiac arrest.

Here are a couple of basic facts about AEDs. They are a small computerized devise that is about the size of a laptop. They use to weigh about 110 pounds. Today, they weigh about 8 pounds. Way to go, Progress!! Once attached to a cardiac arrest victim, it prompts the rescuer with voice and visual prompts and leads them through the process. It analyzes the victim's heart rhythms; and, if needed will tell the rescuer to "clear" and then will issue the possible life-saving shock.

With a program that includes adequate training and a planned response, I truly believe that our church could provide an amazing service to our congregation. One of my thoughts to raise funds for our AED would be to give up one latte a week. I personally enjoy a medium Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Starbucks. I use to make it my Wednesday treat. I have now taken that treat down to once a month. Those lattes cost me $3.80! I plan on donating my "savings" towards our AED Fund.

Care to join me?

Posted in: on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at at 8:48 PM