The first time an outdoor SaveStation was used to help save a life.
We have a very special story to share. On Saturday June 4, 2022, a SaveStation Tower was opened and the AED inside was used to help save a young girl’s life.
13 year old Nina was playing in a soccer tournament at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila when she suddenly collapsed on the pitch. Her coach was quick to call 911 while her father Tom Taft and a nearby nurse recognized that she was in sudden cardiac arrest and began performing CPR immediately.
An employee of the Sports Complex ran to retrieve the AED housed inside the 24/7 accessible SaveStation Tower. Within those first few critical minutes, the pads from the AED were placed on Nina’s chest and a shock was delivered to resuscitate her. By the time paramedics arrived Nina was breathing again. She was taken to the Seattle Children’s Hospital where she underwent testing and is recovering well from heart surgery.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating this first life saved and so grateful to all who contributed to make this very special save possible”, says Deb Hennig, co-founder of SaveStation.
The SaveStation and life-saving AED was placed less than a year ago at the Starfire Sports Complex thanks to Adam Lang (Founder of the DP Foundation) and Darla Varrenti (Founder of the Nick of Time Foundation), with money raised from a charity golf tournament. The tower and AED was placed in memory of Adam’s friend Daniel Phelps and Darla’s son Nicholas Varrenti – both of whom lost their lives to sudden cardiac arrest at a young age.
Below is a picture of Nina at Seattle Children’s giving a thumbs up to her teammates, coaches, the girls on the other teams and to the emergency responders. This was taken not long after she was resuscitated.
In an email to the DP Open community, Adam Lang had this to say,
“Day after day, this story brings me to tears. In 2015, we lost Daniel to a sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep and seven years later he helped save Nina’s life, playing the game they both love.”
What a beautiful, full circle moment. One that we are moved to be part of.
We are committed to collaborating with others in the industry who share our vision to provide 24/7 access to life-saving AEDs so that together we can save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest. Thank you to the DP Foundation and the Nick of Time Foundation for your life-saving work and dedication to preventing more deaths from sudden cardiac arrest.
SaveStation is more than a cabinet, it is a public awareness program committed to driving more access to AEDs that are accessible to the public 24/7 and providing much needed education about when and how to perform CPR.
Through access, awareness, and education more lives like Nina’s can be saved.
Be the reason for the next great save!
info@savestation.ca
Update, January 2023: Nina recovered from her heart surgery and stepped back onto the field in November 2022! In her honour, the DP Foundation placed a second SaveStation Tower at the Starfire Sports Complex in Washington. Next to the tower is a plaque talking about Nina’s story and how her life was saved. Nina and her family attended the ribbon cutting event on January 22, 2023.
