by James Coulter
As folks who sell firearms, John & Yashera Phillips know how easy it is for an emergency to occur. For that reason, they gladly accepted a donation of an automated external defibrillator (AED) for their store.
On Tuesday evening, Wild Wild West Arms in Dundee received the 57th AED donated by Culpepper’s Cardiac Foundation (CCF). CCF volunteers helped install the AED, while a safety demonstration was also provided.
“We were excited and very pleased to be picked to receive the AED,” John Phillips said. “Being around firearms, and having a large volume of customers, I feel it will add great benefit as a lifesaving tool in our environment.”
Sara Michaels, who previously worked as an assistant manager, had reached out to the CCF to request an AED for the store. Michaels wanted to ensure the safety of staff and customers, as a store employee had previously suffered a heart incident.
“Tragedy knows no time frames,” she said. “Every single business should have one of these devices under their roof. You never know when that moment is going to strike and it’s in YOUR hands to try to save a life.”
Ed Caraway, who had worked in customer service for three years, was the employee who experienced that incident. He suffered a panic attack when his blood sugar dropped low. Fortunately, he survived that incident, and he is thankful an AED has been donated to ensure other people can likewise survive similar emergencies.
“I got nervous and started sweating and believe I didn’t know what was happening,” he explained. “I was lucky it was just my sugar had dropped too low but you never know when it could be a heart attack Melanie you and your team gave a great orientation I enjoyed it.”
Both Michaels and her employers have supported the CCF ever since its inception. They have personally known its founder, Melanie Brown Culpepper, for many years. They have seen her do many good things, even when bad things have happened to her.
Melanie started CCF four years ago following the untimely passing of her late fiancée, Michael Culpepper, who had passed away from cardiac arrest. Not wanting anyone to suffer a similar fate, Melanie started her organization to donate AEDs across Polk County.
“I’ve known Melanie for well over 20 years,” Michaels said. “I’ve seen her take her tragedy of losing Michael, to aid in her healing by helping others through this foundation…Melanie could have just let herself drown in grief of her loss. But she didn’t. She chose to take action and heal in a healthy way by spreading awareness. It’s truly commendable.”
Witnessing the good things Melanie has done throughout her life, regardless of her tragedies, inspired Michaels and reminded her of a quote from podcaster and motivational speaker Brené Brown:
“You may not have signed up for a hero’s journey, but the second you fell down, got your butt kicked, suffered a disappointment, screwed up, or felt your heart break, it started. It doesn’t matter whether we are ready for an emotional adventure—hurt happens. And it happens to every single one of us. Without exception. The only decision we get to make is what role we’ll play in our own lives: Do we want to write the story, or do we want to hand that power over to someone else? Choosing to write our own story means getting uncomfortable; it’s choosing courage over comfort.”
For more information about CCF, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/honoringculpepper
