Defibtech AED Accepted by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI personally accepted the gift of a Defibtech automated external defibrillator from Defibtech President Gintaras Vaisnys and Fabio Rangoni, president of Mortara, the Italian distributor of the Defibtech Lifeline® AED, at a recent audience, the manufacturer said, adding that Vaisnys presented the AED while Rangoni explained how AEDs can save victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
"Pope Benedict was genuinely interested and immediately grasped how a defibrillator can save lives," Vaisnys said.
Benedict is making his first visit as pope to America this week. Vatican City, where the audience took place, is among the world's most popular tourist destinations, with about 17,000 visitors arriving daily to see the Sistine Chapel and other attractions. "Because so many people come to the Vatican each day, it's an important place to have a defibrillator," Vaisnys said. "It is very important that AEDs are located in areas frequented by many people -- public areas, workplaces, airports, schools and churches, health clubs, hotels, and so on." Defibtech, based in Guilford, Conn., says defibrillators have been used in numerous life-saving emergencies at churches, which in many cases have been leaders in bringing AED programs into their communities.
For information about Defibtech, visit www.defibtech.com or call 866-DEFIB-4-U (866-333-4248).