Township Celebrates Donation of Outdoor AED Case

The Township of Madawaska Valley is celebrating the donation of an outdoor case for the existing AED unit at the Combermere Community Centre.

On January 23, Mayor Shulist and Councillors Blank and Maika met with Christine Darbyson and Ken Seafield of the Combermere Martial Arts Club to thank them in person for their donation of an outdoor case for the Combermere Community Centre's AED unit. Christine, alongside the Club, donated the nearly-$900 case earlier this year.

At the meeting with Council, donor Christine Darbyson stated, "We learned the hard way that a beating heart does not follow business hours, compassion is useless behind a locked door. Grief taught us that the difference between life and death can be a simple pane of glass or a locked handle. Today, we tear those invisible barriers down. This device is not just a machine, it is a declaration that the spark of life is public property, never to be held captive by a schedule again. By placing this power in the open air we ensure love and rescue are always accessible in our community, erasing the barrier that cost us a beautiful life. help and hope will never again be out of reach. Thank you to Hannah Gutoskie for helping tear off the red tape and to our sensis and students and our friends at St Joes and Madonna House." 

The Community Centre has been home to an AED for years, but thanks to this donation the unit is now accessible to the general public even when the facility is not in use. The box is installed directly to the left of the main doors of the Centre.

Council is grateful to Ms Darbyson for this generous donation, which may save a life! 

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