YC Receives Lifesaving Donation

Cardiac arrest is a game-changer and a life-ending event for so many but does not have to be. Access to an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) can be a lifesaver in critical moments. For York College students, faculty, staff and campus visitors, the availability of AEDs across campus just expanded in a big way thanks to two charitable foundations.

Chad Karcher, long-time athletic trainer at YC, had identified the need to exponentially increase the number of available AEDs on campus and sent out the call for partners who shared his vision for a safer campus. ​

An anonymous foundation responded in December 2019 with a grant enabling the College to purchase six AEDs, but the news got even better when the Jeffrey Bowman Heart Fund responded by supplying two more AEDs bringing the total to eight. These eight units plus the five already on campus, and two accessible at the baseball and softball complexes, make a total of 15 units available at YC for necessary use.
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“This has been a goal of mine for years; it was just a matter of finding a way to make it a reality,” said Athletic Trainer Chad Karcher. “This doesn’t just benefit our students and campus but also our community and those who use our facilities.” 

An AED is a portable medical device that can be used in sudden cardiac arrest to analyze the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. 

Sudden cardiac arrest is among the leading causes of death in the U.S. Of course, this does not replace the assistance needed by trained medical professionals. However, according to the American Red Cross, for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10 percent. Having access to an AED and using it increases the odds of survival from about 5 to 40 percent or higher.  Plans are to now provide training on the units for faculty and staff in the fall.

The Jeffrey Bowman Heart Fund, based out of Colorado, seeks to make a difference by donating AED units to organizations and families as a tribute to the Bowmans’ late son, Jeffrey, who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in August 2007, at the age of 17.

Photo Above: Athletic Trainer, Chad Karcher; Athletic Director, Matthew Madole; Junior Student Athlete, Tori Schindler; Custodial Manager, Dennis Leinen