BURTON
As a project worker with Vestas, Avis McDonald does a fair amount of travel and routinely notices automated external defibrillators (AEDs) strategically placed in airports and at work stations.
Last year, while attending a summer ceilidh in the St. Mark’s parish hall in Burton, she didn’t notice a defibrillator.
“Where I work, we always have one in our trailers, because you never know if we might need it,” she commented.
A lifelong member of the parish, McDonald approached her nephew, Daniel MacDonald, chairman of the property and finance committee for the parish and offered to purchase one for the parish. She ordered it through the same company where she orders them for her work.
She recently presented the device, with its potentially life-saving capabilities, to the parish in memory of her father, Leo, who was also a lifetime member.
The AED will be stored in the parish church but will also be available should it be required at the hall, or anywhere in the general area, in an emergency.
Although the device provides prompts on how it is to be used, MacDonald said arrangements will be made to train interested parishioners so that there are no uncertainties or hesitancy should an emergency arise.
“It’s always nice to give back to your church, McDonald acknowledged.
An automated external defibrillator is a lightweight, portable device that can be used to treat sudden cardiac arrest. It is capable of sending an electric shock to the heart intended to restore normal heart rhythm.
