Melinda Truax, local activist and mother of Michael and the late Matthew Truax, has pushed for screenings and the implementation of AED stations in public areas.South County Fire’s Kris Georgen said that he hoped the CPR and AED training provided to the public could spur people into action during an emergency.Edmonds School District Assistant Superintendents Greg Schwab and Dana Geaslen spoke about a Nick of Time EKG-screening program that found undiagnosed heart-related irregularities in 600 out of 27,000 students.Adam Lang, founder of the Daniel Phelps (DP) Foundation, supported Project 100, which aims to equip 100% of sports fields in Washington State with accessible AEDs.Mayor Christine Frizzell thanked the Truax family and spoke about the facts of sudden cardiac arrest.A ribbon cut, a potential live saved.The Truax Family (Michael, Melinda and Jerry) stands next to the AED station dedicated to Matthew.Members of South County Fire stayed behind after the ceremony to provide practical training for the new device and CPR.Mayor Christine Frizzell speaks with members of the Lion Heart Heroes Foundation, who advocate for better cardiac screening during the military recruitment process.
Matthew Truax had several seemingly normal sports physicals before he died at age 16 of sudden cardiac arrest. It was discovered later that he had an undiagnosed heart condition: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, an enlargement of the heart.
His mother, Melinda Truax, was one of the speakers at the Friday unveiling of a new AED (Automated External Defibrillator) SaveStation dedicated to Matthew.
“Today is a day of celebration because our community is getting safer,” said Truax, who has spent the last decade volunteering to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest– the leading cause of death for young athletes. It often occurs due to blunt force injuries and undiagnosed heart conditions.
Members of the Nick of Time Foundation, the Lion Heart Heroes and the DP Foundation came to Lynnwood’s popular Meadowdale Playfields to celebrate the implementation of the new life-saving device.
Two sentiments were repeated among speakers: Early detection of heart conditions is important and every second counts during an emergency.
— By Jasmine Contreras-Lewis
Where is this defibrillator located? Is it a Meadowdale play field?
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Where is this defibrillator located? Is it a Meadowdale play field?
Yes, as noted toward the end of the story.