North Bellmore-north Merrick Little League Thanks Senator Fuschillo For New Lifesaving Defibrillators

Officials and players from the North Bellmore-North Merrick Little League recently thanked Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District) for securing $10,000 in state funding to enable the League to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). The AEDs will be on hand during every game at all League fields.

"In a cardiac emergency, the difference between life and tragedy is a matter of minutes. As we saw when 9 year old Robbie Levine died tragically during a baseball practice in Merrick, a cardiac emergency can happen to anyone at anytime. By having these lifesaving devices at all the playing fields, we will greatly enhance the safety of the players, coaches, and spectators," said Senator Fuschillo.

League President Jerry Marino said, "thanks to Senator Fuschillo’s efforts, we were able to implement our ‘defibrillator at every field’ program, which is one of the first on Long Island. Having AEDs at every game along with training all our coaches in their use will provide an added protection for the 1,200 children who play in the league and the parents who come to watch the games."

Defibrillators are electrical devices used to counteract fibrillation of the heart muscle and restore normal heartbeat by applying a brief electric shock. Using defibrillators can significantly increase an individual’s chances of surviving a cardiac emergency. According to the American Heart Association, a victim’s chance of survival decreases 7-10 percent with every minute that passes without defibrillation. After as little as 10 minutes, very few resuscitation attempts are successful.

The American Heart Association estimates that sudden cardiac arrests claims the lives of approximately 250,000 people every year, and that with proper access to defibrillators, 50,000 lives could be saved.

Photo caption: Players and officials from the North Bellmore-North Merrick Little League thank Senator Fuschillo (center) for securing state funding for defibrillators, which will be on hand at all league games. They are joined by Assemblyman Dave McDonough (second left).

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