A Family’s Heartbreak Sparks a Lifetime of Heart Help

Rachel Moyer says she knew her path the day her son Gregory passed away at age 15 in 2000. 

“The nurses at the hospital told us there should have been an AED at the school,” Moyer says. “From then on, that became our mission.”

Moyer’s son Gregory went into cardiac arrest in the locker room after playing basketball for just 10 minutes in his first varsity game. He suffered from undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and tragically passed away later at the hospital. Had he received CPR and intervention from an AED more quickly than he did, there’s a chance he might still be with us today.

Since then, for the past 25 years, Gregory’s family has passionately advocated for awareness of heart health with a focus on CPR training and the availability of AEDs. Through the Greg Moyer AED Fund, they raise funds to donate AEDs to schools, police departments and other public places across the U.S.

“It’s a miracle when somebody is saved,” Moyer says. “The AEDs are so easy to use even for non-medical people. I can’t tell you how good it feels to know someone was saved because of the knowledge you brought.” 

An AED is an automated external defibrillator, a small compact device that can help save someone’s life during sudden cardiac arrest. It guides users and can deliver an electric shock to the heart to get it to start beating again.

Although they had no family history of heart disease, what happened to Gregory inspired Moyer to have her entire family screened for heart issues. Thankfully, her husband and two daughters were fine. However, Moyer, like her son, had a hidden heart issue that didn't cause symptoms. Her cardiologist Gordon Fried, DO, with Pocono Cardiology Associates, determined her aortic valve was starting to deteriorate. After several years of monitoring, she recently had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure performed by cardiologist Paul Hermany, MD, at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest.

“It was scary, of course, but I met my doctors prior to the TAVR procedure and they were awesome,” Moyer says. “After talking to them I had the utmost confidence and felt completely comfortable.”

The TAVR procedure is a minimally invasive procedure to fix aortic valves that no longer open or close correctly. In TAVR, valves are replaced through a catheter with a new valve, typically made of cow or pig tissue. 

“Similar to how portable AEDs have transformed the management of cardiac arrest and saved lives in increasing numbers, TAVR has also revolutionized the management of patients with aortic stenosis, making valve replacement safer and recovery easier,” Dr. Hermany says. “As a result, more patients now have the opportunity to live longer, happier lives.”

Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute has performed more than 2,200 TAVR procedures since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011.

“After the TAVR procedure, I was out of the hospital in about 36 hours and I felt fine. I’ve had no issues or side effects,” Moyer says. “It’s amazing how many people are apprehensive about having a procedure done on their heart. It’s not so bad and certainly better than the alternative!”

If Moyer had not known the importance of heart screenings, she may have never known about the deterioration in her valve. Gregory’s legacy is carried on in stories like hers every day, by people who are helped with education and awareness from the family’s advocacy or saved by the AEDs donated in Gregory’s name. 

“As a cardiologist and a father of two boys who are beginning their journey in sports, I am reassured that our children are safer today with AEDs more readily accessible in our community and education in basic life support available in a variety of forums and local hospitals such as Lehigh Valley Health Network,” said Dr. Hermany. “The efforts of the Gregory Moyer AED Fund have been a critical part of this growth.”

Through the Fund the family has donated thousands of AEDs and trained countless people in CPR and AED operation. Additionally, they have played a major role in helping pass legislation, including the first bill in the country that brought down the cost of AEDs. 

Along the way, the foundation has celebrated many impressive milestones. Early on they donated AEDs to every public school in Pennsylvania by Gregory’s 16th birthday. They have also donated AEDs in every state in the U.S. 

New milestones they continue to reach for are to have AEDs required in all schools, have coaches required to have CPR training and no athletics or activities happening if there’s not an AED on site.

Having AEDs available and easy to find is a bigger task than Moyer could have imagined all those years ago, but progress is being made. A federal law mandates that airplanes must have AEDs on board, and Moyer says grocery stores have been doing a good job of having them available. 

As the Moyer family approaches the 25th anniversary Gregory’s death and the foundation, they are as passionate as ever about their mission. 

“My husband refuses to sit with me on a plane since I continue to spread the word wherever I go. He has heard all my stories repeatedly,” Moyer says. “I can’t imagine myself not talking to people about the importance of screenings and AEDs. So many people have been helped, me among them!”

Today, Moyer does a lot of grant writing for the foundation and she’s looking forward to planning for the 25th anniversary. She has a follow-up appointment in a few months for her TAVR procedure, but she’s feeling well. Whether it’s online or on an airplane, she continues to partner with individuals, organizations and donors who share their mission. The foundation is active on social media. You can join them on Instagram at thebeatgoeson_aed and on Facebook. 

Visit Heart and Vascular Institute for more information about LVHN’s cardiology services, including the TAVR procedure.