Brad and Nelda Lewis, both 1965 Brookings High School Alumni and high school sweethearts, returned to Brookings-Harbor High School Wednesday afternoon, August 19th, on behalf of the David Heller Foundation.
After the tragic 2005 death of 17-year old David Heller, the cousin to Brad and Nelda Lewis’ daughter-in-law, the David Heller Foundation was formed and the Lewis’ now donate their time to the foundation.
The David Heller Foundation is a multipurpose Public Charity whose primary function is to support cardiac screenings of teenage athletes including educating the public on the importance of cardiac screening. The foundation also provides scholarships for secondary and higher education to deserving students.
In addition, the Foundation donates and distributes portable Automated External Defibrillators, or AED’s, already donating more than 190 of the devices and will distribute 50 more in 2020.
An automated external defibrillator is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. With simple audio and visual commands, Automated External Defibrillators are designed to be simple to use for the layperson, and are able to treat these conditions through the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
17 year old David Heller grew up in Scappoose, Oregon, and was the starting shooting guard on the Central Catholic High School Varsity Basketball team when he died on November 23, 2005 as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. It was after a basketball scrimmage that David finished his day with routine tasks before retiring to bed where he peacefully passed away in his sleep. David had no symptoms that would alert his family that he had a life threatening condition.
It is through Brad and Nelda Lewis’ connection to David Hellers family, Brookings-Harbor High School and their generous dedication to the David Heller Foundation that Brookings-Harbor High School became the recipient of two of these Automated External Defibrillators Wednesday afternoon.
