Cayman Heart Fund founder Suzy Soto has donated a defibrillator to her local gym, in a bid to encourage people to exercise.
Soto said having the equipment, which she donated personally to World Gym, on the premises “is important as a lot of people work out at the gym, including myself”.
She added that she hoped people would be motivated to exercise at the gym, knowing that an external automated defibrillator is there.
Sam Young, executive director of World Gym, said, “New, portable AEDs enable more people to respond to a medical emergency that requires defibrillation. At World Gym we aim to empower others through health and fitness, and are extremely grateful for Ms Suzy Soto’s donation and also for the healthy relationship we have formed with her over the years.”
An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s an easy-to-use, medical device that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. It can be used by anyone as it gives clear voice commands to guide the user through the process of treating a victim of a suspected cardiac arrest.
The earlier CPR and defibrillation can be delivered following cardiac arrest, the higher the chances of survival for a cardiac arrest victim. According to the Red Cross, for every minute that passes without defibrillation, the chances of survival falls by about 10%.
Although this donation to the gym is a personal one by Soto, Cayman Heart Fund has supplied more than 350 defibrillators to the local community since it was founded by Soto in 2007.
Soto also recently donated another AED, outfitted especially to take care of young children, to the Montessori School of Cayman, which is owned her granddaughter Briana Bergstrom.
For more information on Cayman Heart Fund, visit caymanheartfund.ky.
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