It happened just as a young preschool teacher was preparing to wake her students from nap time.
The woman, in her 20s and the daughter of Destin Chamber of Commerce board member Robert McFarland, suddenly collapsed at work after experiencing ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm that can cause cardiac arrest.
What happened next demonstrated just how critical preparation — and access to an automated external defibrillator — can be during a cardiac emergency.
“She is a preschool teacher and was about to gather her kids up from nap time when she suddenly collapsed,” stated Robert McFarland, Destin Chamber board member. “Thankfully, all staff members have been trained in CPR and AED, and they immediately ran to her aid and started CPR. After two sets of CPR compressions and three AED shocks, my daughter finally came back. If it was not for the quick action by the trained school staff to immediately run to her aid, she would not be here today.”
The experience resonated with members of the Destin Chamber and prompted a question: Was the Chamber itself prepared if a similar emergency happened there?
Following the incident, the Chamber contacted HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital about obtaining an AED for its facility. The hospital responded by offering to donate the lifesaving equipment.
“When someone in our Chamber family experiences a life-threatening cardiac emergency, it brings home just how important it is to be prepared,” said Shane Moody, president and CEO of the Destin Chamber of Commerce. “We are incredibly grateful to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital for providing this AED and the training to go along with it. We hope we never have to use it, but knowing our team will have both the equipment and the knowledge to respond in those critical first moments gives us tremendous peace of mind.”
Along with donating the AED, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital will provide hands-on training for Destin Chamber staff and board members on how to use the device and respond during a cardiac emergency. The training will give participants an opportunity to become familiar with the equipment so they are better prepared to act should an emergency occur.
“When sudden cardiac arrest happens, every minute matters, and having an AED nearby can give bystanders an important tool to help while first responders are on the way,” said KC Donahey, CEO, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. “We are happy to provide this AED to the Destin Chamber of Commerce and help strengthen emergency preparedness for an organization that serves so many people in our community. We hope this equipment is never needed, but we want the Chamber team to have the resources and confidence to act if it is.”
Automated external defibrillators are designed to provide lifesaving intervention when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. Making the devices more accessible — and pairing them with training — can give bystanders another important tool to respond during those critical first moments.
For the Destin Chamber, the new AED is more than another piece of emergency equipment. It is a tangible reminder of an experience that became deeply personal for its Chamber family — and of how training, preparation and immediate action can make a lifesaving difference.
