Cygnet Theatre Receives Lifesaving Donation

Cygnet Theatre is now prepared for any heart-related emergency thanks to the generous donation of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) by Dr. Yuko Nakajima. The 100% donation was facilitated by the non-profit organization San Diego Project Heart Beat.

Dr. Yuko Nakajima made the donation in memory of her father, who recently succumb to a cardiac-related death. The presentation was made at a special ceremony at Cygnet Theatre on March 16th, 2015. Training of volunteers and front of house staff will commence later this month.

Maureen O'Connor (Public Access Defibrillator Program Manager), Bill Schmidt (Cygnet Theatre Executive Director), Yuko Nakajima, MD, James V. Dunford (City of SD Medical Director), Janice Fawcett (Cygnet Theatre House Manager)
Photo available upon request An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening signs of cardiac arrest and is able to treat a patient on site. "Similar to having a fire extinguisher, we hope to never have to use this valuable lifesaving device," said Executive Director Bill Schmidt, "but it's important that we have one should we ever need it." Cygnet welcomes over 40,000 patrons annually to its 246-seat theatre. According to Maureen O'Conner of San Diego Project Heart Beat, this device is the only registered AED in Old Town. "In addition to the safety of our patrons, we are honored to now be a resource for the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Old Town Historic State Park every year." added Schmidt.

According to San Diego Project Heart Beat, when a person suffers from sudden cardiac arrest, each minute that passes without defibrillation decreases their chance of survival by 10%. Over 120 lives have been saved since the founding of San Diego Project Heart Beat, which works to coordinate donations of defibrillators throughout the community.