The city of Denton unveiled its first freestanding Automated External Defibrillator at South Lakes Park on Friday in memory of Dylan Dorrell, a Guyer student who tragically died of cardiac arrest while at cross country practice at the park in 2020.
Dorrell was a 17-year-old Guyer senior and avid runner with an undiagnosed heart condition when he collapsed after practice on Aug. 13, 2020. His parents, Gus and Lisa Dorrell, later established the #runforDylan Foundation, which focuses on providing heart screenings and CPR training to athletes and promoting Cardiac Arrest Awareness through scholarships and community outreach education.
On Friday morning — what would have been Dylan’s 21st birthday — the Dorrell family, city officials, the American Heart Association and representatives of the Guyer High School cross country team gathered at South Lakes Park for the dedication event of a new custom AED SaveStation. AEDs are “just about the only thing that may save someone’s life” during cardiac-related emergencies like Dylan’s, according to a news release from the city of Denton.