Norwalk Hospital Donates AEDs to New Canaan Fire Department and St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan

NORWALK, Connecticut – January 4, 2017 – Norwalk Hospital recently donated two automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the New Canaan Fire Department and one to St. Aloysius Church in New Canaan.

The gifts were made possible through the generosity of Thomas Ayoub, MD, Norwalk Hospital’s chief of medical staff, and his wife Christine Dombrowski, CNM, a certified nurse midwife. Their son Peter Ayoub, a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, is a volunteer firefighter with the New Canaan Fire Department.

AEDs are portable electronic devices able to treat life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy to stop arrhythmia and allow the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States, affecting nearly 400,000 people each year, according to Matt Soicher, director of EMS at Norwalk Hospital. It can happen anywhere and to people of all ages; less than 1 in 10 survive. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical system of the heart malfunctions, resulting in very irregular and potentially fatal heart rhythm. Using AEDs and performing CPR immediately (within a few minutes) can greatly impact a victim’s chance of survival.

About Western Connecticut Health Network

Western Connecticut Health Network is the region's premier, patient-centered health care organization serving residents of Western Connecticut and adjacent New York. The organization is anchored by three nationally recognized hospitals, Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital, and their affiliated organizations. The continuum of care offered includes numerous medical practices and sub-specialties across the region, home health care services, a nationally renowned biomedical research institute, the Danbury Hospital & New Milford Hospital Foundation, the Norwalk Hospital Foundation and other affiliates. For more information, visit WCHN.org. Share your comments with us at Facebook.com/DanburyHospital; Facebook.com/NewMilfordHospital and/or Facebook.com/NorwalkHospital.

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Photo Caption –From left are: Thomas Ayoub, MD, Christine Dombrowski, CNM, Jack Hennessey, Chief of the New Canaan Fire Department and Matthew Soicher, EMS Operations Manager at Norwalk Hospital, who acquired and activated the AEDs.