Pushing for defibrillators

When Connolly entered the restaurant that Friday afternoon, he got in line next to a father and son when suddenly “the lights went out and down I went,” he said. There were no warning signs, and in fact, he remembers being in particularly good spirits that day. 

In a sheer bout of luck, the father and son Connolly stood next to were Sean and Gino Bonetti, a retired paramedic and a rookie firefighter. Reacting quickly, the father and son called 911 and began quickly looking for an AED machine.

The taqueria didn’t have one, and neither did the Trader Joe’s nearby. Even the first responder on scene wasn’t carrying one. It wasn’t until the second deputy's vehicle arrived that Connolly could get shocked — twice. 

“If there was not an AED present, who knows what the outcome could have been,” Connolly said. 

Connolly has worked in the medical technology industry his entire career, working on projects intended for just about everything, but hearts. 

The importance of AED machines has come up for Connolly recently, even before that afternoon in the taqueria. The new vice president of finance at Connolly’s current employer was the former chief financial officer of Avive Technologies, a local medical technology company that is the leading manufacturer of AEDs. 

“He keeps one in his office,” Connolly said, laughing. “There’s a sign on his door, and I remember asking him ‘why do you have this thing here.’”

Despite Connolly spending his career very aware of the importance of efficient medical technology, nothing emphasized it more than his own experience in need of it.

“I’ve worked in industries that are developing life preserving, life saving technology, but it’s very different to be on the receiving end,” Connolly said. 

Now, Connolly is working with other medtech leaders, local officials and first response agencies to try to make AED machines more accessible. Ensuring police or deputies, who are often the first on scene in an emergency, have access to the machines is the priority, he said. 

In October 2024, the city of San Carlos placed eight AED machines at public parks, stationed in outdoor towers accessible 24/7. The initiative was the first of its kind in the region. 

But if you're not near a park, the health threat remains the same. If Connolly had his way, everyone would have a machine in their cars. 

Purchasing one isn’t cheap — they run anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000 — but it's a worthwhile investment even for an individual, Connolly said. 

“I’ve told this story a lot … every third or fourth person I tell can name two or three people they know that had sudden cardiac arrest when they were otherwise perfectly fit,” Connolly said. “It’s not super common, but its occurrence rate is high enough that it touches a lot of us.” 

Just like buying insurance for your car, Connolly said getting an AED machine is just as worthy of an investment. 

“One day you’re going to be in a crowded grocery store or taqueria and someone hits the ground,” Connolly said.