Following the death of their son, the Brindleys established the Just1Mike Foundation which promotes AED installation and heart screenings to prevent youth cardiac emergencies.
Nine years ago this month, while at rural summer camp outside of Chicago, 16-year-old Michael Brindley was playing basketball with friends when he went into full cardiac arrest. Coaches, counselors and a paramedic were nearby, but the camp was far from major medical centers, and despite using the correct lifesaving measures, Michael could not be resuscitated.
He died on June 21, 2016.
In 2017, parents Kristy and Bob Brindley launched the Just1Mike Foundation, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that facilitates the installation of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at schools and sports facilities in California, and in Illinois where the family once lived. The organization also promotes and arranges regular heart screening for youths.
An AED is an easy-to-use medical device designed to analyze heart rhythm and deliver an electrical shock to victims of sudden cardiac arrest, with the aim of restoring normal heart rhythm. AEDs are often found in public places and can be used by nonmedical personnel who follow audible step-by-step instructions. California mandates that AEDs are in health clubs, newly constructed or modified/renovated large occupancy buildings, public swimming pools, schools with interscholastic athletic programs and specific commuter trains. High schools are also required to have CPR training.
Following the death of their son, the Brindleys worked quickly to coordinate heart screenings for students in Michael’s class.
That’s when they established the Just1Mike foundation in southern Illinois. The organization offered free EKG testing, which records the electrical activity of the heart, to Michael’s high school graduating class in 2017. Of the 1,900 students screened, 13 learned they had heart conditions, and some of those screened required medicial treatment.
Since then, the organization has tested over 3,000 high school students at three high schools in the Chicago area for heart defects. Of those tested, 32 students were advised to have a cardiac follow-up.
Today, the Brindleys live in Sonoma and are have brought the nonprofit’s mission to Sonoma Valley youths, families and schools.
Collaborating to help youths, families
According to the Mayo Clinic and the American of Academy of Pediatrics, sudden cardiac arrest due to undetected heart conditions is the number one killer of student athletes, and the leading cause of death on school campuses, and yet many schools and youth organizations are unprepared for these cardiac emergencies.
“Since we lost our boy, who was passionate about sports and dreamed of being a sports broadcaster, in his honor we have helped arrange heart screenings for over 16,000 youths and young adults,” said Kristy, president of Just1Mike Foundation. “Here in Sonoma Valley and Sonoma County, we have also made possible the installation of nearly four dozen AEDs, and the heart screening of hundreds of young people.”
As of February, the organization partnered with Parent Heart Watch, a national organization, to expanded their screening outreach and AEDs located in the Sonoma Valley.
Schools and youth organizations can apply through the Parent Heart Watch’s Get Charged Up program or contact Just1Mike.org to receive AEDs, comprehensive training and learn about emergency response plans.
Just1Mike also works with the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation, a Marin County -based organization cofounded by Jennifer Sarmento, whose 18-year-old son Kyle died in 2018 from cardiac arrest.
Where to find AEDs in the Sonoma Valley
Last year, with a grant from the Sonoma Valley Rotary, Just1Mike Foundation donated two AEDs to Altamira Middle School. The defibrillator is on the school’s soccer field and near the basketball courts. More recently, two AEDs were installed at Maxwell Farms Regional Park, thanks to a grant from Impact100 Sonoma, and in collaboration with the Sonoma Valley Fire Department, which has also assisted with the installation of AEDs at local schools, parks and churches.
“We learned of Just1Mike after they installed the first three Savestation/AED outdoor cabinets at Sonoma Valley High,” said Sonoma Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Cyr. “Continuing to work with the foundation, we have placed outdoor AED towers at Maxwell Park, Sonoma Plaza, Depot Park and Altamira Middle School. We are currently working to place other Savestations at Larson Park, Arnold Field and locations in Kenwood and Glen Ellen.”
With help from Just1Mike Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley received eight mobile AEDs for use at their clubs, summer camps and sports programs.
More than a dozen outdoor AED towers are found throughout Sonoma Valley, including:
- Sonoma Splash Aquatic Center at 20000 Broadway, Sonoma.
- Depot Park at 270 First St. W, Sonoma
- St. Leo’s Catholic Church at 601 Agua Caliente Road W, Sonoma
- Sonoma Plaza at 453 First St. E, Sonoma
- Diamond A Ranch Rec Center at 18843 Spring Drive, Sonoma
- Little League playing fields around the Sonoma Valley
“One of the AEDs at Sonoma Valley High was used on June 15, 2022, when Mikey Serbicki, who was 16, was found in cardiac arrest by friends with whom he was playing basketball,” said Kristy. “After trying CPR, the boys used the nearby AED, listened to the audible instructions, and saved Mikey’s life.”
Kristy added one in 300 or so kids turns up with what are unsuspected heart irregularities, and in those cases, follow-up EKGs are either available on site, or follow-ups are encouraged through referral to personal physicians or cardiologists.
As the organization continues their mission to save lives, the Brindleys continue to honor their son who wanted to be a sports broadcaster, a writer and a father.
“Our family has chosen to celebrate everything ‘Michael’ … his love, his generous heart, the difference he made and continues to make in our lives and the lives of others by celebrating him every day through the work of Just1Mike,” sad Kristy. “Our son Michael is the inspiration for all we do. It is always our goal to keep another family from receiving the phone call that we did.”
About the organization
In 2017, parents Kristy and Bob Brindley launched the Just1Mike Foundation, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that facilitates the installation of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at schools and sports facilities in California, and in Illinois where the family once lived. The organization also promotes and arranges regular heart screening for youths.
The nonprofit has partner with other organizations to offer heart screenings ans set up AEDs around the Sonoma Valley.
Website: just1mike foundation.org
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/just1mike-foundation/
