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Couple Donates AED to Sewickley Campus
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Sewickley resident Ed Beaman feels lucky for everything he and his wife, Katherine, have, including their health and their home in Sewickley. The retirement living couple wanted to give something back to the Sewickley community, so they donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) for use in the Clubhouse. The Beamans learned about AEDs from their son, Tom, who sells medical equipment. He encouraged his parents to donate an AED to the Sewickley campus.
An AED is a small, lightweight device that looks at a person's heart rhythm (through special pads placed on the torso) and can recognize ventricular fibrillation, or sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). If SCA is present, an AED will advise the responder through simple steps to defibrillate the individual. According to the American Heart Association, every day in the United States, an average of 685 people die from SCA. Many of these deaths could be prevented if the heart could be shocked and returned to a normal heartbeat within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest. In combination with an early call to 911, early CPR and early defibrillation, the victim's chance for survival increases. The Beamans plan to take a CPR course so they can learn to save a life.
Giving back and helping others has been a way of life for the Beamans. A member of Coraopolis Lodge No. 674 and a Shriner, Bro. Beaman drives sick children several times a month to Erie, Cincinnati or Philadelphia to one of the Shriners Hospitals for treatment. Katherine is a member of Sewickley Chapter No. 439, Order of the Eastern Star.
"We are very grateful for the generosity of two such fine people," said B.J. Franks, Executive Director, Sewickley. "We all appreciate what they have done."
If you would like to donate an AED for one of our Masonic Village locations, please call our Office of Gift Planning toll-free at (800) 599-6454, and we will have a staff member work with you.
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