Why This Cause Is Personal

Nearly three years ago, my wife suffered sudden cardiac arrest—her heart stopped without warning. I began CPR immediately and continued for more than 15 minutes while we waited for additional help.

The EMS personnel who responded were outstanding, and the first firefighter to arrive was a dedicated member of the Timberlake Fire Protection District, arriving off duty. However, he did not have access to a defibrillator at that moment. He took over CPR until another unit arrived with the necessary equipment.

Those minutes mattered.

That experience changed me forever. It also made something very clear: life-saving equipment can be close—but not close enough.

This fundraiser exists so that off-duty or on-call firefighters and EMTs with the Timberlake Fire Protection District can carry portable defibrillators in their go-bags, allowing them to act immediately when cardiac arrest occurs. When seconds matter, waiting minutes for equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

My goal is simple—to help ensure that the tools needed to save a life are available as soon as a responder arrives, not minutes later.

Lives can be saved if the wait is reduced.

The funds raised will be used to purchase portable defibrillators that will be donated to the Timberlake Fire Protection District to provide as go bags for off duty or on call personnel.

See our personal video by click the image above or use this link for YouTube