New Egypt Middle School purchases defibrillator

Plumsted PLUMSTED — New Egypt Middle School students have raised enough money through dances and a carnival to purchase an automated external defibrillator for the school.

According to a press release, the New Egypt Middle School Student Council coordinated school dances and donated the proceeds back to the school.

Diane Carr, New Egypt Middle School Student Council moderator, said, “We are very appreciative of the amount of money raised at our dance so we can help the school buy a life-saving device such as the defibrillator. The Student Council members are always so willing to help promote a needy cause and I am very proud of all of them.”

The New Egypt Middle School eighth grade class sponsored a school carnival of which the proceeds also contributed to the purchase of the defibrillator.

“We are so proud of the fact that this year’s eighth grade class was able to contribute to such an important purchase for the school. This really demonstrates selflessness and social responsibility on the part of our young people,” said eighth grade class moderator Donna Westby-Gibson.

“This makes us more responsible and potentially responsive to our public and we feel very good about that,” said New Egypt Middle School Principal Jerry Jellig.

New Egypt Middle School nurse Karin Nielsen said the American Heart Association has estimated that widespread availability, to designated responders, and use of automated external defibrillators (AED) could save as many as 50,000 lives nationally each year.

According to the press release, an AED is a computerized medical device that has been proven safe and effective, even when used by lay people, to check a person’s heart rhythm. It can recognize a heart rhythm that requires an electric shock and advise the rescuer when a shock is needed.

It is designed to prevent a user from administering a shock to a cardiac arrest victim until after the device has analyzed a victim’s heart rhythm. The AED uses voice prompts, lights and text messages to tell the rescuer the appropriate steps to take.

The New Egypt Middle School has seven staff members who are certified in the use of an AED.