Wear Red for Women recently gave three automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Bothwell Regional Health Center.

An AED is a small, lightweight device that allows individuals and first responders to treat sudden cardiac arrest. The machine automatically analyzes the heart rhythm and when appropriate, it delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm. According to the American Heart Association, only 50 percent of people can locate the AEDs in their workplace. Approximately 10,000 cardiac arrests occur in the workplace annually and immediate CPR and AED use can double or even triple survival rates.

Funds to purchase the devices were raised during the 2024 Wear Red for Women luncheon and auction. The committee’s goal is to have AEDs in every place people work, learn, play or pray in Sedalia and Pettis County. Since the inception of the luncheon event in 2020, nearly 100 AEDs have been placed in or committed to various locations.