Hillary Mitchell, owner of New You Aesthetics and Wellness in Longview, recently donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the Longview Youth Softball Association. An AED is a portable device that analyzes the heart's rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and can deliver an electrical shock to help restore a normal heartbeat if needed.
Mitchell, a nurse practitioner who previously worked as a school nurse in Gilmer, said it is important to have the devices available because "if something happens you only have seconds to act." Texas Reardon, the league's president, said Mitchell is also a coach and commissioner in the league.
Reardon said Mitchell approached the league after a game in which a player was injured. During a conversation about player safety, the league learned the league did not have an AED on site. Reardon said Mitchell decided on her own to buy one and donate it. Reardon said the league is fairly new and has had more than 250 girls take part in each of its last three seasons.