Published on November 12, 2020

Weston Reed Foundation Donates Funds to Health Care Foundation of North MS

Weston Reed Foundation donates AEDs

Lee Reed (second from left) recently donated the remaining funds from the Weston Reed Foundation to the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi. On hand for the presentation were (from left) Shane Spees, North Mississippi Health Services president and chief executive officer; Steven Blaylock, HCF president; and TJ Adams, vice president of North Mississippi Medical Center’s Cardiovascular and Surgical Services.

TUPELO, Miss.—The Weston Reed Foundation recently donated its remaining funds to the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for public spaces throughout our area. HCF matched the donation so that more than $13,000 is now earmarked for this and similar projects of North Mississippi Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute.

The Weston Reed Foundation was founded in August 2007 after 11-year-old Weston Reed experienced sudden cardiac death while practicing soccer at Ballard Park. Although several physicians who were at the soccer field administered CPR within seconds, Reed could not be saved. Unfortunately, there was not immediate access to an AED, a device used to shock the heart back into rhythm. While an AED may not have saved his life, rapid access to these devices saves many lives yearly.

“Julie and I are grateful for the volunteers and donors from our community who contributed to the Weston Reed Foundation’s success over the years,” said Lee Reed, Weston’s father. “We are also thankful that the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi is willing to continue carrying out our mission.”

The Weston Reed Foundation placed more than 100 AEDs in Tupelo schools, Parks and Recreation sites, police and sheriff’s department patrol cars, churches and other public venues in northeast Mississippi. The Foundation also partnered with North Mississippi Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Program to provide free electrocardiograms (EKGs) and physicals for student-athletes twice a year.

“The Weston Reed Foundation has done outstanding work in our community,” Steven Blaylock, HCF president said. “We look forward to moving forward with AED placement throughout our 24-county region.”

To donate or for more information about HCF, visit www.nmhsfoundation.org

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