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At just 43 years old Ben Talit, a businessman and EMT, went into cardiac arrest on board a plane. By the time the plane landed 45 minutes later it was too late Lynn Talit, West Hartford: "There was no preparation to respond to cardiac arrest nothing on board that plane could have saved my husbands life."
Talit: "There is really no excuse for AEDs not to be as common in public as pay phones or fire extinguishers." The American Red Cross agrees, and is starting to train people how to use one, because when it comes to re-starting a heart every minute counts. Lynn Burgess, American Red Cross: "For every minute that passes a victim's chance of survival decreases by 10%." Lynn Burgess, the health services director, demonstrates how easy they are to use. Burgess: "The first thing you do is apply the pads.." A diagram shows exactly where to put them, then you turn the machine on. It tells you what to do: "Analyze -- stand back -- now shock." The Connecticut General Assembly recently changed its Good Samaritan law to include the use of defibrillators. That means if someone who is trained uses one and something goes wrong they can't be sued. But the law doesn't cover police and fire departments. This widow says she must continue to fight for better access in her husbands name. Talit: "I've got to be part of the solution, whatever small role I play." Defribillators are now portable and weigh only about 4 pounds. The Red Cross says the training course will soon be offered statewide. The Red Cross would like to see them made available in places such as malls, planes and businesses. There are several sites here in Connecticut already using these life-saving devices:
©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT |
Red Cross Pushes for Use of Portable Defibrillators
Since 1995, Lynn Talit has pushed for public access to the Automated External Defibrillators (AED). The device costs about $3,000. It restores the heart's natural rhythm by applying an electric shock.