Thursday, July 17, 2025
73 ° Mostly Cloudy
73 ° Mostly Cloudy
At just 11 years old, Reagan Dinneen of Newtown Borough is on a mission to make her community “heart safe,” one cup of lemonade at a time. Diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) at the age of 7, Reagan knows firsthand the importance of having access to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Now, she’s turning her personal journey into a public campaign to ensure that no one in this community is ever too far from lifesaving help.
On Memorial Day, Reagan and her friends, the Goodnoe Girls, set up “Happy Heart LemonAED,” a lemonade stand using only fresh-squeezed lemons for a healthy and refreshing drink. However, this isn’t just any neighborhood lemonade stand. Rather than charging for the lemonade, Reagan asked customers to donate whatever they can; every penny raised goes towards buying AEDs for local parks and community spaces.
“She wants to make Newtown a heart safe community,” says her mother, Tiffany Dinneen. “We live across from Pickering Field in Newtown Borough, and Reagan said, ‘Let’s get an AED for that field.’ She and her friends found out the park does have an AED, but it’s locked up in the snack building. So, she decided to keep raising money to place AEDs in other parks around Newtown.”
Reagan’s journey to advocacy started with a terrifying episode when she fainted during a family trip to Yellowstone Park when she was 7. “She said mom, ‘emergency,’ and then fell into my arms, completely unconscious,” Tiffany recalls, “but she didn’t go into full sudden cardiac arrest.”
At the time, they were living in Arizona where Reagan's father was stationed with the Marine Corps. The Dinneen family traveled to the renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) where Reagan finally received an accurate diagnosis of Long QT Syndrome. Once diagnosed, Reagan’s doctors in Arizona felt they couldn’t provide her with the appropriate level of care that she needed. It was then that her family decided to move to Newtown, her father’s hometown, to be close to Reagan’s grandparents and CHOP.
Long QT Syndrome is a genetic heart condition that affects the heart’s electrical system, making sufferers vulnerable to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Many children with LQTS faint or have seizures during or after exercise, excitement, or being startled, and in the worst cases, their hearts can stop altogether. Quick access to an AED, which can deliver a life-saving shock, is critical.
“She’s never had to use the AED herself,” Tiffany shares, “but she always keeps it with her. Her doctor at CHOP, an electrophysiologist, says she’s one of the lucky few to be diagnosed before it was too late.”
Reagan’s lemonade stand is about more than just raising money; it’s about teaching people what to do in a cardiac emergency. At her stand, she has a CPR dummy and encourages passersby to watch a short YouTube video from the American Heart Association that teaches hands-only CPR in just two minutes.
“Kids as young as those in elementary school can learn to do CPR,” Tiffany explains. “Most heart attacks happen at home, so learning CPR can help save a grandparent’s life at home or even my daughter’s. And when it comes to AEDs, it’s just a matter of pressing the on button and following easy instructions.”
The Dinneen family has seen firsthand the need for more widespread training. Tiffany says, “Upon moving here we asked if the nearest adult at her elementary school would render aid to Reagan, but we were told that only the school nurse is required.” Pennsylvania law only requires school nurses to be trained in CPR [Public School Code (Section 1402)], leaving teachers and bus drivers without this potentially lifesaving knowledge. In fact, because bus drivers are not trained, Reagan’s parents drive her to school every day instead of letting her take the bus.
Despite these hurdles, Reagan leads a busy and active life. She plays lacrosse, rides horses, cheers, and dances, activities that help her feel like a typical kid, even as she manages her heart condition.
Reagan and her family have worked with doctors at CHOP to implement their Youth Heart Watch emergency cardiac response plan, so Council Rock Schools are always prepared; Goodnoe Elementary School even got an extra AED for school field trips.
Recently, Reagan took her mission all the way to Harrisburg. Invited by her doctor at CHOP and the American Heart Association, she met with state legislators to advocate for bills, SB 375 and HB 191, that would require Pennsylvania schools to have AEDs readily accessible and to train more staff in CPR and Emergency Cardiac Response. “She’s determined to make a difference,” says Tiffany proudly.
As summer kicks off, Reagan and her friends plan to keep setting up her Happy Heart LemonAED stand throughout Newtown. Her goal isn’t just to place AEDs around town; it’s to build a culture of preparedness and care. Ultimately, she hopes to start her own nonprofit organization focused on creating a heart safe community for everyone in her community, no matter their heart condition, known or unknown.
“She’s learned to educate herself, and now she’s teaching others,” says Tiffany. “If more people knew how to use an AED and how to do CPR, lives would be saved. Reagan’s showing us that even the smallest person can make the biggest impact.”
