Bicyclist pedaling to buy defibrillators (USA)

A year ago, Ron Vergnolle collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest but was revived with an automatic external defibrillator. Wednesday, he began a bicycle ride across the state (South Carolina) to raise money to buy AEDs so more people have a chance to survive. 'Over 300,000 people die a year from sudden cardiac arrest,' said Vergnolle, of Greenville. 'Many more could be saved if there were more AEDs available.' The 40-year-old real estate developer and father of three was always healthy and active, says his wife, Britt. In fact, he had jogged to the gym for a workout the day his heart stopped. 'If he had the cardiac arrest on the bike in Cleveland Park, things would've been much different,' she says. 'The fact that it happened 10 feet from an AED was truly a miracle.' Since that day, Vergnolle underwent bypass surgery and also had a defibrillator implanted in his chest. And he's cycling more than ever, using the round trip from Greenville to Caesars Head as his training route, logging 1,300 miles since Christmas. 'When it happened, it was such a shock I decided I'd try to mark the anniversary with a big ride,' he says. 'The time has come.' The 274-mile ride from Caesar's Head to Edisto will take Vergnolle three days. Britt and the children will follow in the car. And once at the beach, the family will 'celebrate life.' - Greenville News