AdventHealth Littleton nurse on a mission to save lives

It was a Saturday morning in September of 2018 when AdventHealth Littleton nurse Kara Baker stood on the sidelines of her daughter Avery’s soccer game at Redstone Elementary School in Highlands Ranch. Kara’s parents were there too, excited to cheer on Avery.

The game hadn’t even started when Kara saw something in the corner of her eye, her father, Ed Walsh, collapsing to the ground.

Kara rushed to his side, quickly assessed, and began CPR. She yelled out in desperation, “Someone get an AED! Someone, please—get an AED!” But it was the weekend and the school was locked. The life-saving device they needed was just steps away, inside the school, but out of reach.

An ambulance rushed Ed to AdventHealth Littleton but despite everyone’s tireless efforts, he passed away later that day.

Even after years of living with heart disease, Ed’s commitment to heart health remained steadfast. Ironically, he spent a large portion of his career getting AEDs placed in elementary schools and volunteering at heart screenings, determined to protect others from the tragedy he ultimately faced.

In the days after his death, Kara made a choice: this tragedy would not define her, it would drive her.

Since then, she has hosted multiple heart screenings, raised funds, and secured donations for seven AEDs. In addition, with the support of the AdventHealth Littleton Foundation, Kara has helped install 10 publicly accessible, outdoor SaveStation AEDs across Colorado.

On August 12, Kara, along with her husband, children, mother, co-workers, and friends, celebrated the newly installed AED outside Redstone Elementary, the same school where Ed went into cardiac arrest. This is the first of four AEDs to be installed at Douglas County schools. In December 2023, the AdventHealth Littleton Foundation helped Kara donate six outdoor SaveStation AEDs at Littleton Public Schools. Kara knows this is more than a community project—it’s a promise to her dad.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any age,” says Kara. “Don’t be afraid of an AED. Be empowered—because you never know whose life you might save.”

By turning grief into action, Kara is carrying her father’s legacy forward, ensuring his life’s passion continues to beat strongly within the heart of the community he loved.