CINCINNATI — The medical recovery of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin sparked demand for Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) but supply chain issues challenge delivery.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blames the issues on a semiconductor computer chip shortage as local youth athletic clubs and foundations established to promote medical safety in sports see other issues.
To some, the immediate, life-saving care Hamlin received during Monday Night Football feels more than a corner kick away from Ohio youth sports.
"We need that for all of our young athletes," said Jennifer Dunaway, founder of Ohio Soccer Moms and Dads.
"(AEDs) can be hard to find at the fields we play at," said Brett Dickson, director of communications for CincySC, a soccer club with 17 teams and 750 players ranging from 3-year-olds to adults. "There aren't a lot of parks that I see in Cincinnati that have an AED present."
Two years ago, another club's tragedy shook Cincy SC. Matthew Mangine Jr., 16, collapsed during soccer practice. There was no AED nearby until emergency medical technicians arrived. Sudden Cardiac Arrest killed the teen. SCA kills 325,000 Americans a year, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.
Mangine's death caused Cincy SC to raise money to better protect athletes. After partnering with the Matthew Mangine Jr. Foundation, which helps promote awareness and medical safety measures of cardiac-related episodes in competitive youth and high school sports, Cincy SC raised $9,000. That paid for staff CPR training and bought 5 AEDs.
"It's not just for the teams that we're coaching," Dickson said. "It's for every Cincy SC team. It's for other teams, for other organizations that are playing. So, the ideal situation for us would be that we take it in the morning and hang it on a fence post and say hey everybody there's an AED here."
Still, Dunaway sees hurdles.
"We just don't have the support that we need to really protect our kids," she said.
Her group pushed lawmakers to require AEDs in schools and public parks last year. It failed. However, state House Rep. Richard Brown of Canal Winchester announced plans to reintroduce House Bill 426.
"Recently, we saw Damar Hamlin, safety for the Buffalo Bills collapse on the field here in Ohio due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest after suffering a traumatic blow to the left area over his heart," Rep. Brown said in a statement posted on his website. "Thankfully, medical teams on site revived him with the use of an AED and CPR. "Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. This is not about if, but when. I want to make sure we are putting our students, families, schools and organizations in the best position possible to handle these situations when they arise."
Meanwhile, the FDA lists AED on the agency's medical device shortage list. The reasons include a global semiconductor computer chip shortage and increased demand for AEDs. Still, Matt Mangine, who helps run the foundation named in honor of his son, told WCPO 9 News supply shortages caused the group to work with 10 AED device suppliers. Batteries and pads for AEDs seem to be in short supply too, he said.
Dunaway and Dickson said their groups plan to keep kicking for more AEDs until every youth league scores better protection.
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