MADISON (WKOW) — While college students often see themselves as immune to heart issues, sudden heart attacks can affect people of all ages.
At UW Madison, several dorms do not have life-saving equipment. On Monday, Witte Hall got its first AED. Something most students didn’t realize was missing.
“You don’t really think ‘Oh where is the next AED that I can find, every time I step into a building,’” Andreas Kyrvasilis, president of the student group Cardiac on Campus, said. “When you need it it will make a difference whether its there or not.”
It is the third AED that Cardiac on Campus has purchased and installed in a UW residence hall.
The group was founded in 2015 after a UW Madison student’s brother died of a sudden cardiac arrest, at 20 years old.
Kyrvasilis says they group wants to ensure sure nothing like that happens again.
While there are nearly 250 AEDs around the UW Madison campus, the new one is only one of 6 in the 21 residence halls, accessible at all times, hoping it will never be used.
“As far as I know, thankfully, none of the AEDs that we’ve placed have had to be used, so far,” Kyrvasilis said.
According to UW Madison AED policy, they may be required in some buildings that meet certain requirements.
However, it’s up to specific departments to purchase their own.
Read the full article at WKOW.com.
