Woman's use of AED to save man's life illustrates value of devices

AKRON, Ohio — She normally prays silently.

Deanna "Dee" Norflee prayed aloud the day she saved Bart Skinner's life.

"Please, Lord Jesus," she said between sobs as she hooked an automatic external defibrillator, or AED, unit to Skinner, who was in cardiac arrest. "Right now, if you give me the strength to do your will ..."

Norflee, a recreation director at Summit Lake Community Center in Akron, Ohio, had just watched the 55-year-old Skinner take what could be his last breath. Only seconds earlier he was sprinting up and down the basketball court.

"Press the button," the AED unit told her.

Norflee did as instructed and felt like she was being shocked as she watched Skinner's body jerk. He began to make a gurgling noise that meant he was breathing again.

Skinner, who was revived by paramedics a second time on the way to an area hospital but is now doing well, credits Norflee's quick actions with saving his life. His basketball teammates honored Norflee with a plaque and fruit basket, and she will be recognized recently by Akron as the city's Employee of the Month for January.

"An AED is one of those things — a tool — that, under the right circumstances, with the right timing, can provide you with positive results," Akron Fire Capt. Dale Evans said. "Sometimes that's not the case."

Evans said Skinner was in good physical shape, his problem was recognized early, Norflee and others at the community center quickly provided him with help and he survived.

Norflee remembers sitting in the community center office, feeling sorry for herself before she had to spring into action to help Skinner.

"I was sitting there complaining," recalls Norflee, 32, who is also a substitute special education teacher for Akron Public Schools and an assistant boy's varsity basketball coach at Buchtel High School. "There was so much going on."

"Do you see that?" her co-worker suddenly asked.

Norflee looked into the gym from her office and saw Skinner slouched over. She dialed 911 and told them to hurry; they had a possible heart attack.

In the gymnasium, basketball players, spectators and attendees from the Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the adjoining room buzzed around, with everyone wanting to help.

One person said they needed to elevate Skinner's legs. Someone said to grab a chair. Norflee told them they needed to lay Skinner flat.