Every 43 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack.

Put another way, 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year.

A simple-to-use device called an automated external defibrillator, or AED, can save the life of a person suffering a heart attack. And Spartanburg Regional Foundation's heart division has been working to make these machines available at locations throughout our community.

The Foundation's AED Assistance Program invested nearly $40,000 for the purpose of providing AEDs for 25 local organizations. These include schools, churches and nonprofit organizations.

Applications were reviewed by the heart division's executive committee, and recipients were announced on May 3.   

AEDs represent one way the Foundation supports healthcare innovations and technological advances, according to Nicole Papst, director of philanthropy and liaison to the heart division.

“AEDs can be truly life-saving,” Papst said. “And they are an important part of the effort to improve heart health in our community.”

As AEDs become more common, the potential for saving lives grows. Improved training and access to AEDs could save 50,000 lives each year, according to the American Red Cross.

An AED works by scanning a person who may be experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest and, if needed, delivering a shock to the person's cardiovascular system. The machines come with straightforward instructions on how to apply the equipment to the chest of the individual.

Do you know how to use an AED?

Spartanburg Regional Foundation's AED Assistance Program was launched in February 2017 as part of National Heart Month and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System's “Celebrate the Hearts You Love” campaign.

The Foundation's heart division partnered with the Heart Center and the Corporate Education Division of SRHS to provide training for AED recipients and to work with them on overall emergency response plans.

Here is a list of the recipients:

• Pacolet Mills Baptist Church
• Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Spartanburg
• Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Foster Chapel Baptist Church
• Charles Lea Center
• The Haven Shelter
• Cherokee Historical and Preservation Society
• Eden Wesleyan Church
• Golden Street Baptist Church
• Inman Community Volunteer Fire Dept.
• Spartanburg School District Three
• Spartanburg School District Two
• Immanuel United Methodist Church
• Pelham First Baptist
• Wellford Baptist Church
• Immanuel Lutheran School
• Springfield Baptist Church
• Reidville Road United Methodist Church
• Sugar Ridge Commons Homeowners Association
• Free Chapel - Spartanburg
• AccessHealth
• Unitarian Universalist Church
• St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church
• High Point Academy
• Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church