Melony Prince demonstrates extraordinary nurse qualities and community involvement through her participation in the Sweet Heart’s ball. Melony has been active with the Sweet Heart’s ball since 2008; fundraising, organizing and executing the ball along with the South Metro Division Fire Department and families who have lost children to lethal arrhythmias. 100 % of the proceeds raised from this ball are used to supply AEDs for schools and identified high risk patients with AEDS for their home and/or school. To date over 125 AEDS been placed in Colorado schools.
Melony’s efforts have directly saved lives of Children’s Hospital of Colorado patients. One specific example is of a patient who was treated at our hospital for cardiomyopathy. She recovered from her illness and returned to normal activities in school. She had a witnessed arrest at school in which a Sweet Heart’s Ball supplied AED was used to resuscitate her. Had the AED not been in place, this former patient would have died. Instead she is a fully functioning happy young adult.
Melony’s extraordinary efforts do not stop with the Sweet Heart’s Ball, but continue through community education. Melony volunteers to educate teachers and school staff on how to use AEDS and lethal arrhythmia education. She demonstrates that she is passionate about saving children’s lives. She identified a way to make a direct impact on the community through supplying AEDs in school and raising community awareness on the need for AEDs in schools.