Pictured, from left, Terry Hansen, senior vice president of operations, Redbud Community Hospital; Tricia Williams, Regional vice president of Marketing/Communications, St. Helena Hospital; Chris Heller, principal of Middletown High School (shown holding defibrillator); and Carrie Hoefer, widow of Michael Hoefer, in whose honor the defibrillator was given (shown holding roses and presentation plaque).

CLEARLAKE – To honor the memory of Youth League Coach Michael Hoefer, Redbud Community Hospital and St. Helena Hospital recently presented a portable defibrillator and a training program to Middletown High School.

Hoefer recently suffered a fatal heart attack during a game at the high school.

Principal Chris Heller and Carrie Hoefer, widow of Michael Hoefer, accepted the defibrillator in Hoefer’s honor.

“We feel deep sympathy for the Hoefer family, and understand the critical need for everyone to have access to this life-saving device,” said Tricia Williams, regional vice president, Business Development for St. Helena Hospital and Redbud Community Hospital. “The importance of having a defibrillator available for the school and our community can’t be stressed enough.”

Both Williams and Terry Hansen, senior vice president of Operations at Redbud, feel that the donation of a defibrillator expresses their support to both the Hoefer family and community members.

Hansen added: “I feel this is my way of helping make this critical service available to more people in Lake County.”

Hansen has first-hand experience with defibrillation — it saved his life during his heart attack. “Every day is a gift. My challenge is to never forget the miracle that returned me to life.”

Hoefer’s mission was to affect children’s lives in a positive way. He accomplished this with his a zest for life and boundless energy, sharing both unselfishly with all the children he coached. People whose lives he had touched rallied to support his family, raising money for them through a community barbecue, and finishing construction on the Hoefer’s home.

Portable defibrillators are one of the most important tools carried by ambulances. They are the only proven way to resuscitate a person who has had a cardiac arrest.

Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with the device. Automated External Defibrillators can analyse the heart rhythm by themselves, diagnosing the shockable rhythms, and then charging to treat. This means that no clinical skill is required in their use, allowing lay people to respond to emergencies effectively.

Early defibrillation does save lives. According to the American Heart Association, CPR is just one of the links in what's known as the “chain of survival.” Along with recognizing an emergency situation and calling 911 to get advanced life support personnel on the scene, defibrillation plays a leading role in preserving life.

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