02/11/2026
Home run for safety
Softball player gets defibrillator for D’Autremont complex
Story by DEB HILL - Reporter Lewistown News-Argus
An estimated 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year, making it the leading cause of death for young athletes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Those statistics are startling, but not as disturbing as seeing them come to life, which is what happened to Fergus High School senior Anna Elam last summer.
Anna was in Helena for a softball tournament when a young player nearly lost her life due to SCA. Idaho athlete Addie Cox hit a triple and dove for third base, then stood up, staggered and dropped. Luckily, someone ran for a nearby piece of medical equipment known as an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED for short. An AED analyzes heart rhythms and delivers an electric shock to start normal heartbeats. Because there was one, Cox’s life was saved.
At the time of the event, Anna was playing on a nearby field. Although she was aware there was some sort of medical emergency going on, it wasn’t until later that day that she heard the whole story.
“It was a wake-up call,” Anna said. “I remember there was an NFL player a few years ago that died, but this was someone my age.”
The more she thought about it, the more Anna felt she should do something to protect local athletes.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. This was such an eyeopener. I wanted to make sure we had an AED here,” she said.
While the high school has AEDs, Anna knew the D’Autremont Complex did not. She decided she would figure out how to get an AED for the complex as her contribution to the community.
“I knew it would cost $2,500, so I had to figure out how to raise the money. The first grant I applied for I didn’t get, but I kept trying. Eventually I got $2,000 from the Fergus County Medical Society. Then I raised $500 more by cleaning the bleachers at the high school,” Anna said.
“It was a wakeup call.”
With two of her friends, Shyanne Ricks and Payton Hersel, Anna picked up bottles and trash and used leaf blowers to clear the rest of the debris left after games, earning $150 each time.
With funds in hand now, the wall-mounted AED unit will be purchased in the spring, Anna said, through Big Sky Fire Equipment.
“It has to be stored during cold weather, so we decided to wait to order it,” Anna explained. “Once we have it, Dr. LePage and Dr. Welsh from CMMC will train all the softball coaches and players how to use it. It’s self explanatory, but training is important.”
From March through August the AED will hang on a wall at the concession stand; the rest of the year it will be safely stored elsewhere.
Head softball coach Mike Mangold said there are four AEDs at the high school, but having one located at the softball complex is a good idea.
“We’ve never had one at the complex. I’m proud of Anna for spearheading this. It’s nice to know we have these types of kids, with this ‘go get ‘emattitude’ on the team, who are willing to work for others like this,” Mangold.
In addition to her AED project and getting ready for softball season, Anna is focused on applying for college scholarships for St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota where she plans to study physical therapy.
📸 Anna Elam stands next to Billings Clinic MedFlight RRT/EMT Barry Stahlman. Last summer Stahlman, a softball coach, saved a player’s life with an AED unit similar to the one Elam got for the D’Autremont Complex. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA ELAM
