'If this saves one life, it's amazing': Aurora widow applauds new AED at Town Park

Men's and girls hockey teams fund outdoor defibrillator

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 25, 2020

Kyle Hewitt had coached his eldest son Tyler’s hockey team in the playoffs on the night of March 3, 2017 before heading to the Aurora Family Leisure Complex to play hockey with his buddies in their men’s league.

After his game, he went home, where his wife and three children were already sleeping, and headed for bed.

Sadly, when he reached the master bedroom, he collapsed on the floor from sudden cardiac arrest and died.

Hewitt, who had sailed through a medical physical just a week earlier, was just over a month shy of his 45th birthday.

His death left an irreparable hole in the lives of his family -- his wife of 20 years, Jen, and their children Tyler, now 15, Cole, now 12, and Addison, now 10.

The family recalled their loving memories of Hewitt as they gathered around Aurora’s new and first outdoor SaveStation automated external defibrillator, or AED, installed this month at the Town Park.

“He was one of those guys that everybody liked. Always smiling, always smiling,” Jen said.

“He was just one of those guys who was fun to be around. Loved to be at the cottage. It was just his happy place. And playing hockey. And being with the kids. He liked to ski as well.”

Tyler remembered the times his dad coached his hockey team and took him water skiing at the cottage in the summer.

Cole still thinks of his dad’s quirky sense of humour.

For Addison, her dad’s love of music stood out.

“He blasted his music in our ears to wake us up for school. He liked to dance. He loved music. He really liked the cottage,” she said.

The family is thankful the AED was made possible through donations from the Hewy Christmas Classic, an annual Aurora hockey community fundraiser, renamed in Hewitt’s honour after his death, and the Central York Girls Hockey Association peewee Orange Crush girls’ hockey team.

“We’re just so thankful they did this,” Jen said.

“If this even saves one life, it’s amazing.”

On the wall of the washroom facilities near the snack bar, the SaveStation is clearly marked for public use. It lights up at night so it’s always visible and keeps the defibrillator warm in winter and cool in summer.

“It provides 24-7 monitoring of the publicly accessible AED; in the event the cabinet is opened, it will take a picture and text/email alerts will be sent out to appropriate personnel,” a statement from SaveStation said.

“This technology has been around in Europe for over 10 years now, and SaveStation is proudly bringing this life-saving equipment to North America.”

About 40,000 Canadians suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year.

Only 10 per cent of victims survive, but studies show the immediate use of an AED can boost their chances of survival by 75 per cent, SaveStation said.

“When Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) strikes, we are highly dependent on the public to step in and help,” the company said.

“AEDs are safe for anyone to use and placing these life-saving devices in accessible indoor and outdoor public spaces will save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.”

Aurora’s is not the first local outdoor AED funded by the Orange Crush team, which includes 11- to 13-year-old girls from Aurora, Newmarket East Gwillimbury.

They were inspired to raise money for the outdoor defibrillators in Aurora and Newmarket after learning of the heroic efforts of 17-year-old Raychel Gilles.

On Sept. 15, 2019, Gilles saved the life of George Padanyi, who was playing hockey with his friends at the Sharon Arena.

When he collapsed from cardiac arrest, Gilles, who was acting as scorekeeper for her dad’s game, was the only one who kept calm, assessed Padanyi’s condition, directed witnessed to call 911 and used an AED to keep him alive until paramedics arrive.

Gilles and Padanyi were at Riverwalk Commons July 29 for the unveiling of Newmarket’s first outdoor SaveStation.