A little over four months ago when Angela Cupp first proposed the idea of raising money to purchase an automated external defibrillator in honor of her father, she was hopeful it could be done.
Cupp’s father, Laurence J. “Larry” Coleman, died of a heart attack back in September 2013 as he hiked a trail in Morristown with his wife and family friend. He was 71.
The fundraising goal was $1,600 to be able to buy an AED and get it placed inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There was not one of the life-saving devices available where Coleman hiked the day he died. He wasn’t inside the Park there, but Cupp wanted to place the AED in the Smokles where Coleman also loved to explore.
An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. They are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest. The units are lightweight and even give voice prompts to let you know when to send the shock to the heart.
So Cupp, a resident of Walland, made a public plea to help her raise the needed funds, and the donations came in, much of it from friends and family but also complete strangers. When the tallying was done, she had raised enough to not only purchase one AED, but two, and GSMNP agreed to place them in high-traffic areas — — at the Cades Cove campground and also the Cades Cove Visitors Center at the loop’s halfway point.
Ready to save lives
The AEDs are now in place. Plaques honoring the life of Coleman, a lifelong educator, accompany the devices.
It took teamwork, Cupp said this week. Priority Ambulance was able to purchase the AEDs at a discount for Cupp. Alcoa Tenn Federal Credit Union managed an account at no charge for Cupp’s fundraising efforts. GSMNP worked with Cupp on placement of the AEDs and employee Jamie Sanders even picked up the devices and delivered them to the Park. RADD Recognition made the plaques.
But the story doesn’t end there.
As this loving daughter worked to make this a successful tribute to her father, others around the country heard about it. Cupp said she has been contacted by four different outdoor camps who are now equipping themselves with AEDs because of her.
Example to others
One such place is Doe River Gorge in South Carolina. A spokesman there said they purchased an AED because of what Cupp has done. A mission camp, Big Creek in Kentucky, has bought two AEDs, one for its coffee shop and one for the mission house, Cupp said.
Cupp’s mom, Betty Coleman, hiked regularly with her husband of 45 years. She is now leading hikes for her hiking club and raising money for another AED to be placed inside the Smokies. Cupp’s sister who lives in Florida has been talking to the American Heart Association about this project as well.
“This has been such a healing process, and it has reached farther than I could have ever imagined,” Cupp said.
Larry Coleman was retired from both the University of Tennessee and the University of Toledo. His field was special education. He served as a mentor to many.
“I couldn’t think of anything that would have made him happier,” his daughter said. “This is educational. It is beneficial and all of the things he admired about people.”
Now that the AEDs are in place along with the plaques, Cupp said she might continue to raise money for more AEDs in the Park. She said she would also be willing to help others launch their own similar campaigns.
According the American Heart Association, when CPR is performed correctly and an AED is used, survival chances almost triple compared to those who do not receive CPR or an AED.
Experiencing another loss
This will be a lasting and powerful tribute to her dad. Since his death, Cupp has lost one more family member to a heart attack, her mother-in-law.
Look at how this has grown, she said. Two AEDs that are representative of two people she’s lost to heart attacks. Then three phone calls and folks across three other states are joining in to supply AEDs in their areas.
This has been a lesson on stepping out of her comfort zone to do something she passionately believes in.
“This all came from the heart,” Cupp said. “This all goes to the heart and it was caused by a heart.”
Sanders said she was glad she could play a small role in all of this. She is now an executive assistant for GSMNP but served as a law enforcement ranger there for eight years. She picked up the AEDs from Cupp to place inside the Park.
There were two outdated AEDs that were in use in the Cades Cove area. Those will now be reassigned to a patrol car and possibly in Elkmont where there is no AED available, she said.
“Angela is enabling us to provide quality care for our visitors,” Sanders said. “We have several heart attacks in the park every year.”
Community sees value
There are AEDs in all Blount County Schools and the necessary training is required, thanks to the Tanner Lee Jameson Act. Tanner was a student who died in 2009 at Eagleton Elementary while participating in sports. His mom is the one who pushed for the legislation.
Cupp said she sees what love and determination can accomplish.
“I can’t begin to name all of the people who have contributed to my healing,” Cupp said. “I am going to know that I know that someone somewhere may be saved and that brings hope. Without hope, there is nothing.”
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