By Andy Thompson
P-C Community News Editor

NEENAH — Before March 6, 2006, Tom Prosser of Neenah had a minimal understanding of automated external defibrillators.

"I knew what AEDs were, but I didn't know how much of an impact they had in saving lives," said Prosser, a retired business executive.

That day, Prosser found out just how great that impact was. He was stricken with a heart attack while playing racquetball at the Neenah-Menasha YMCA. "I was running around the court chasing the ball, and I dropped over," he said. "My friends said it looked like I had been shot."

Fortunately for Prosser, help was nearby in the form of an AED. An individual working at the YMCA that morning used it to revive Prosser.

Prosser, who says he "would not be alive" if the AED had not been close by when he suffered his heart attack, now is spreading the word about the importance of the devices and making them accessible in public places.

As that effort continues to unfold, public attention has been focused on the recent death of NBC newsman Tim Russert, 58, who died of a heart attack.

"I'm sure we'll get a lot of questions and calls from people," said Dr. Patrick Mannebach of the Appleton Heart Institute. "The last time I saw this (reaction) was with John Ritter's death."

Ritter, an actor, died in 2003 of a heart condition. He was 54.

Prosser, 71, wants to see more AEDs in downtown Neenah. And he is committed to getting as many AEDs as possible placed throughout the Fox Cities by supporting the Gold Cross Ambulance HeartStart Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

"It just makes so much sense," Prosser said of the efforts to support the purchase of AEDs for local communities.

Karen Harkness, executive director of Future Neenah Inc., said the city stands to get up to six AEDs in the downtown area, including Shattuck Park. "Our goal is to find areas that have accessibility to the public," she said.

Harkness is hopeful that the AEDs will be installed by late July or early August.

In addition, there is a need to install signs to identify locations in the community that already have AEDs, she said. Those locations include City Hall and the Neenah Public Library.

The effort to get more AEDs in Neenah will be similar to what was undertaken in Appleton in recent years. A total of 23 AEDs have been placed at various downtown sites, according to Steve Radich, administrative director of Gold Cross Ambulance Service.

"It's truly one of the safest downtowns in the Midwest," Radich said.

Radich said the HeartStart Fund has been in existence for nearly 10 years, and has benefited greatly from an annual golf outing and from contributions by local health care agencies and businesses.

While the current focus is on Neenah, HeartStart intends to get Menasha on board in the future, according to Radich.

Radich said there is no doubt that AEDs save lives because they can be administered immediately when a crisis arises. "Three minutes from drop to shock, that is our goal," he said.

Russert's fatal cardiac arrest apparently was triggered after fatty plaque ruptured in his artery, causing a clot to form and prevent blood flow to the heart. Just weeks before his death, Russert passed a stress test.

Dr. Ken Geller, a cardiologist at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, said the death of a high-profile person like Russert creates concern among those susceptible to heart-related problems.

"It's scary," he said. "It's a disease that you're better off not having."

Geller said his advice to patients who are concerned about their health in the wake of Russert's death is to "take care of yourself."

"You look around … and you can see that people carry too much weight and don't take care of themselves," he said.

Mannebach urges his patients to control "risk factors" and be on the lookout for warnings signs, such as shortness of breath, chest discomfort and "anything out of the ordinary."

The attention that has been focused on heart disease in the past week will have a lingering effect, Mannebach said.

"As we age, we all start to wonder in the back of our minds," he said.