Matt’s Mission donates AED in downtown Winter Garden

West Orange Times & Observer
News

The nonprofit Matt’s Mission has donated another automated external defibrillator in Winter Garden with the assistance of the West Orange Chamber Foundation. The latest AED hangs outside the Winter Garden History Museum downtown and is designed for public use.

Matt Cobb nearly lost his life in November 2020, when he went into sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 20. His life was saved by two coworkers who performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took over. He and his parents, Joe and Andrea Cobb, created Matt’s Mission to raise funds to have AEDs placed in high schools and throughout the city of Winter Garden.

The Cobbs have been working with Winter Garden Fire Chief Jose Gainza to target locations for public access AEDs. Two already have been placed at the Winter Garden Police Department and the Winter Garden Farmers Market. Another is planned for Veterans Memorial Park.

It has been the family’s mission from the beginning to increase the survival rate in sudden cardiac victims, and public access AEDs play an important role in achieving this. Matt’s Mission has donated eight AEDs — four to the city of Winter Garden and another four to various Winter Garden organizations.

(Photos courtesy of West Orange Chamber of Commerce)

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Amy Quesinberry Price

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry Price was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.