AIDAN'S STORY
On September 8, 2016, 7 year old Aidan Heath was practicing soccer at the Outdoor YMCA in Woodstock Georgia. His team had split in two and was running scoring drills against each other. Aidan was dribbling the soccer ball around the cones and scored the first goal for his half of the team. As he was walking over to get back in line with his team, it looked as if he had play fallen. When he didn't get up his coach walked over to him and turned him over. That is when we knew something was wrong. We realized Aidan wasn't breathing. Compressions were started immediately by his coach. 911 was called. Many parents had gathered around. Aidan's mom, Ashley, had arrived at practice with his 1 year old brother Jasper. EMT's arrived and began using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on Aidan. After one shock there was no change and CPR was continued. Aidan was somewhat stabilized in the back of the ambulance after several long minutes and taken to Kennestone Hospital where he was treated. CT scan of the brain at that time revealed some brain swelling. He was then life flighted to Egleston Children's Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA). He had been placed on a ventilator. Aidan was at CHOA for ten days having not regained consciousness. It was determined by two separate vigorous tests that Aidan was brain dead. On the 11th day, Aidan's kidneys, liver and intestines were donated to save the lives of others.
Genetic testing revealed Aidan had suffered sudden cardiac arrest as a result of an unknown underlying genetic condition known as Long QT Syndrome Types 3 and 14 and that he also had the CALM mutation. Aidan's brother, aunt, mother and nana have the same genetic condition without the mutation.
About a month after Aidan's collapse, we learned there was an AED at the Outdoor YMCA in Woodstock. However, no one knew about it except the Director who was in the office at the time giving out uniforms. When he was advised of what was going on on the field, he retrieved the AED however by the time he got out of the office with it, the EMT's had arrived.
The YMCA dedicated a tree to Aidan at the soccer field. They provided a plaque in his name and have named the soccer tournaments after him. The YMCA will purchase AED's with the Funds received from these tournaments and will purchase AED's to donate to Aidan's Foundation.