The importance of readiness: AED brings lifesaving access to Miracle Field

Dominion Post

09-08-2025

MORGANTOWN — A new automated external defibrillator is now on-site at Miracle Field in Mylan Park thanks to a collaboration between SteppingStones, WVU Medicine Children's Heart Center and Project ADAM.
This new addition will bring faster response times in the event of cardiac emergencies at the field, which hosts adaptive baseball games for children and adults with disabilities through the Miracle League.
'This is about being prepared for the moment you hope never happens,' said Monica Marietta, executive director of SteppingStones. 'We have always had an AED at our facility, but that is across the parking lot. Now, if something happens to an athlete, a coach, a parent or anyone, this AED is right here.'
The device was contributed through Project AED 365 and coordinated locally through Heartbeats of Hope, the West Virginia affiliate of Project ADAM, located at WVU Medicine Children's.
Project ADAM was founded after a teenage athlete named Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old high-schooler from Wisconsin, collapsed and died during a basketball game due to sudden cardiac arrest. His parents later learned he might have survived had an AED been available. Since then, Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory) has helped place AEDs in schools and communities across the country.
'The chance of survival goes up dramatically when an AED is used within three minutes,' said Tracy Coup, nurse practitioner and co-coordinator for Project ADAM at WVU Medicine Children's. 'You do not know when or where someone might go down. That is why access and training matter.'
While the initiative does not provide AEDs directly, Project ADAM affiliates like WVU Medicine Children's help connect the community to donors and to guide them through the goal of becoming 'Heart Safe.' Becoming heart safe does not mean to just have a device on-site, but have trained staff, emergency plans and annual drills. The new automated external defibrillator acquired through Project ADAM and AED.US will be located at the Miracle Field at Mylan park in efforts to improve staying prepared. Cassidy Roark/ The Dominion Post
'It is not just about having an AED on the wall,' said Ashley Watson, also a Project ADAM co-coordinator. 'People have to know what sudden cardiac arrest looks like, where the AED is, how to use it, and how to respond fast. We work with schools and community sites across West Virginia to build that system.'
Coup said the team has received 12 'save' reports this school year across the country. This means there are instances where an AED placed through Project ADAM was used and helped save a life during a cardiac emergency. This reflects the importance of readiness, she added.
West Virginia law does require that AEDs be present at all school athletic events, and Project ADAM's initiative helps make the process more precise and structured.
Going back to Mylan Park, the new AED is part of the border mission of SteppingStones to ensure safety and inclusion. The organization also recently opened an all inclusive playground right next to Miracle Field.
'Whether it is a kid with autism or a grandparent cheering from the stands, we want everyone to feel safe and welcome,' she said. Thanks to this project, we are more prepared than ever.'
For more information about Heartbeats of Hope and Project ADAM training or designation, visit wvukids.com and navigate to the Heartsbeats of Hope page.