Caroline Church de Lasa

FOUNDER

When you kick the bucket you get to start over with your bucket list… I died one Monday morning in a workout class I had done for years and still do today.  I was brought back to life by the staff at the Saugatuck Rowing Club and members of the Westport Fire Department from Station 4 with the AED from Engine 4, all within four minutes.

Finding ways I can make a difference in this world in my second life has been at the forefront for me in the four years since my sudden cardiac arrest. Lucky for me, what could easily have become a sudden cardiac death was aborted by the use of CPR and an AED. Since that time, I have been extensively tested because my heart gets a little too excited, over 300-bpm happy sometimes. Today I am bionic and have my very own ICD, which is a cute little internal machine the size of an old pager that can restart hearts—my defibrillator is smaller than yours!

For the sake of my three children, I want to create a world where everyone can receive the same quick response and second chance at life. I would love to say that I died so you don’t have to! This is why I founded JUMP START HEART❣️to connect communities with life-saving technology and education.