TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A northern Michigan referee is alive because of quick-thinking parents in the stands and a school located Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
Jim Barbara was refereeing a basketball game in Leelanau County when he went into cardiac arrest during the fourth quarter. Spectators were able to offer assistance and shock Barbara back to life with the AED.
This year, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) requires an AED emergency plan from each school. Barbara says he is so blessed that the community reached out and helped.