11-Year-Old Pushing For Defibrillators At Sports Parks

A young baseball player nearly killed in a little league game accepts a gift to keep others safe. Eleven year old Michael Slatcher almost died after being hit in the chest with a bat while catching.

Friday, April 27th 2007, 8:24 pm

By: News On 6

A young baseball player nearly killed in a little league game accepts a gift to keep others safe. Eleven year old Michael Slatcher almost died after being hit in the chest with a bat while catching. Thanks to quick action, CPR and a defibrillator he's alive and doing fine. After the accident Michael started a campaign to raise money to buy a defibrillator for the sports complex where he plays his game. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports Michael got a big donation Friday night.

With his baseball sized piggy bank and a lot of determination, Michael Slatcher is on a mission. He's raising money to buy life saving defibrillators.

Slatcher was hit in the chest by a bat while catching. The sudden trauma caused a rare disruption in his heart's rhythm, and he went into cardiac arrest. A defibrillator saved his life. Just a week later, he's out raising money to buy defibrillators for his sports complex, and plenty of parents were willing to donate. The group Parents Heart Watch is also helping by donating a defibrillator to Michael and the Indian Springs Sports Park.

"You're a true miracle and God has put you on a mission," said Laura Friend of Parent Heart Watch.

Laura Friend lost her 13-year-old daughter to sudden cardiac death.

"We need AED's everywhere, in public places, ballparks, recreation, any type of recreational sports. You need them in health clubs, in schools," she said.

In addition to the donated defibrillator, Michael's family believes they have commitments for several other defibrillators, enough to cover all of Broken Arrowâ€™s baseball and soccer fields.

"If something like this were to happen again, then there will be an AED there on hand," said young Michael Slatcher.

Even with the donation, Michael will keep working; this is one young man on a mission.

Michael and his family say other schools and sports parks in the Tulsa area have taken notice and are getting defibrillators. The 11-year-old catcher says if the whole campaign spreads across the area, or across Oklahoma, that would be cool.

To learn more about Parent Heart Watch, click here.

Watch the video: Young Cardiac Arrest Survivors Push To Get Defibrillators At Sports Parks
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