Ten years ago, Dr. Bradley Dyer was on call for his practice, All Star Pediatrics in Exton, when he was contacted by the Chester County Hospital’s Emergency Department. A seven-year-old, previously healthy patient, named Aidan Silva, collapsed at home and tragically died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Over the next two years, the Silva family channeled their grief into creating Aidan’s Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and training the community on what to do in an emergency.

Fast-forward to March 2021, Dr. Dyer, a newly appointed board member of the Chester County Food Bank, was able to connect Aidan’s Heart with the Food Bank to coordinate the donation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

“I’m honored to have had the opportunity to come full circle from being a healthcare provider to receiving the generous donation from Aidan’s family on behalf of the Food Bank,” said Dr. Dyer.

All CCFB staff are going to be trained in the use of the AED to help during a life-threatening emergency of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

“We are thrilled to partner with such a wonderful organization that is providing much-needed food to the community,” said Rita Stern, Executive Director of Aidan’s Heart. “This will be our 102nd AED donation to support our mission of keeping our communities heart-safe. We are very impressed with the great work the CCFB is doing to combat hunger in the community and their dedication to keep their workplace safe.”

“For the Chester County Food Bank and Aidan’s Heart Foundation, this is a wonderful – and potentially lifesaving – example of organizations coming together as partners in the community,” said Chester County Food Bank CEO Andrea Youndt.