Hawaii Nurse's 20-Year Mission Saves 86 Lives at Airports

When a woman collapsed without a pulse at Honolulu's airport this morning, a bystander knew exactly what to do. That confidence came from decades of work by one determined nurse.

Pamela Foster founded the AED Institute of America in 2004 with a simple goal: make sure everyday people could save lives during cardiac emergencies. Since then, she's placed more than 10,000 automated external defibrillators throughout Hawaii and trained tens of thousands in CPR.

"We put the equipment in place. We do the training, and then we hope and pray that somebody will act," Foster said. "That somebody will be confident enough to pull that AED off the wall, start compressions, call 911, and save that life."

Her flagship program, Operation Stay'N Alive, launched in 2006 to bring free CPR and AED training to Hawaii's airports. What started at one location has grown to 13 airports across six islands.

The results speak for themselves. Since the airport program began, 86 people who went into cardiac arrest have survived, including this morning's save at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Foster didn't stop at airports. In 2010, she founded the Hawaii Heart Foundation, which has taught free CPR to more than 200,000 elementary school students across the state.

The Ripple Effect

Foster's impact reaches far beyond the lives directly saved. Every person she trains becomes a potential lifesaver in their community. Every AED she installs creates a circle of safety around it.

"Pamela's work demonstrates the power of education and community preparedness," said Honolulu Emergency Services Director Jim Ireland, who met Foster 20 years ago. "By learning CPR and how to use an AED, you may save a life someday."

On Tuesday, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi honored Foster's decades of service by proclaiming October 20 as "Pamela Foster Day." The recognition came during National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, when communities focus on spreading life-saving knowledge.

"Every second matters when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest," Blangiardi said. "Pamela Foster has dedicated her career to making sure more people in Hawaii are prepared to take action."

Twenty years of work, 86 lives saved at airports alone, and countless others throughout the community saved by the ripple effect of her training.