Griffin was an absolute joy to have in our life.
He was always smiling, always in a good mood.
He was sweet and kind and good natured…right from day 1.
And he was a homebody—he called home "the best place in the world" and always looked forward to coming home from school.
He'd often run to meet me with a smiling face and open arms at the end of the day.
My brother, Griffin was very inventive.
He loved to create board games on paper, whole different worlds and all sorts of other things that he spent hours putting little details in.
He was also funny.
He had a silly sense of humour and a unique way of looking at the world.
Griffin was my shadow—always right beside me…
…he was my version 2.0 and really, my friend.
And he was full of energy. Griffin was difficult to keep up with hiking, or on the soccer field or in a game of "manhunt" with his friends.
Everyone described him as a happy, energetic, fit and healthy boy who loved life.
When cardiac arrest happens outside of a hospital, a person's chance of survival is greatly improved by following the 5 steps in the "chain of survival".
The first step is to call 911 immediately.
Then, start CPR.
Next, use a defibrillator to shock the heart back into a regular rhythm.
These first 3 steps can be performed by trained, non-professional rescuers.
The final 2 steps are to transfer care to paramedics, and to provide advanced life support in hospital.
Everyone who responded to Griffin's cardiac arrest appears to have done everything right.
But the chain of survival was missing a link.
While it's not possible to know for sure,
Griffin's life might have been saved if an Automated External Defibrillator, or A-E-D,
had been available and applied in the crucial first few minutes after his collapse.
He might still be with us.
And that's where you come in.
In memory of Griffin, we and many supporters are working toward several goals:
To purchase Automated External Defibrillators for all schools.
To make sure school staff have up-to-date training on performing CPR and using AEDs.
To ensure that all AEDs are registered, so that 911 operators can direct first responders to them immediately.
We have teamed up with the Mikey Network, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of public access defibrillation sites.
Eventually, AEDs will be everywhere.
Let's make eventually now.
With your support, we can help ensure that school staff and 911 operators have the tools they need when seconds matter.
In memory of Griffin, please donate to The Mikey Network today.
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