The Ray of Life Foundation

The Ray of Life Foundations arose from the tragic and untimely death of  Raymond Roberts Jacobson at the age of 39 from Sudden Cardiac Death. Ray Jacobson was a healer. He believed in saving the world...one life at a time. Dr. Jacobson's death at 39 years old represents the hundreds of thousands of parents, children, siblings and grandparents who die each year in this country from cardiac arrest. The Ray of Life is about saving lives. It is about making sure that the people we love will continue to be there in our lives to cherish and adore, to bathe in love and warmth we feel for them. In other words, The Ray of Life Foundation exists to help realize the hopes and goals of the person in whose name it exists.

Ray Jacobson was a San Clemente ER Physician who spend his far-too-brief life trying to save lives. Beyond his mission, though, he was a person who many of you knew and whom I wish many more of you have gotten to known. I'm a bit biased, of course, but here are some facts that if you knew him you knew we're not in dispute:

• Ray was a special guy, a stand up guy. He always did what he said he was going to do. He stood by his word no matter what.

• Ray wasn't driven by ego. In fact, if you didn't know he was a doctor, you wouldn't have guessed because he never introduced himself as "Dr." Jacobson.

• Ray was just another guy in shorts and tennis shoes.

• Ray cared about God, his family, USC, fishing and golf...in that order!

• Ray was a dreamer (just like me!)

Ray could change your life. Here's some of the ways he changed mine:

Ray's sudden death gave me determination and courage I never knew I possessed.

As I traveled through the tunnel of grief at his loss, I was tumbled and tossed...but my focus remained steadfast. And the reason for that came from him.

He made me want to be a better person. Even with all my bad parts, he had this uncanny ability to make me feel like the good guy no matter what the situation. I would come home and tell him something stupid I had said or done and somehow he always made it "OK" for me. 
               
He was a man who opened up his arms and said "hey, I want us to be a family -- all four dogs, two cats, all your Hollywood baggage and your four-year old son, I want him to be mine! Ray not only welcomed a relationship with my existing family, he embraced it  and we became a better family with him in it. 

As we continue to push forward with the Ray of Life Foundation-- and if we can spare but one family the devastation left after the loss of a loved one to Sudden Cardiac Death-- then we'll be translating Ray's hopes into reality.

His hopes in knowing that brain death can be delayed by early defibrillation.

His hopes in knowing that early defibrillation can mean the difference between life and death.

His hopes in knowing that when Sudden Cardiac strikes, defibrillation will be only seconds away.

And beyond his hopes, we will be working for Ray's ultimate goal, as a physician and as a man:

Together We Can and We Will Save Lives. Fight on!

With Love and Light, Helena

What we do...

The Ray of Life Foundations mission is to save lives by the public placement of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). AEDs are small portable devices that can quickly detect abnormal heart rhythms. The device is automated and provides directions to laypersons or first responders so they can safely deliver an electrical shock to restore the heart to a normal rhythm. AEDs save lives. Place AEDs where people are most likely to work live and gather for social and recreational activities. To promote public awareness and educate citizens about the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest and the only treatment, defibrillation. To enlist support from decision and policy makers in making our mission a priority for the community. To extend our training services to all community members, businesses and first responders by providing CPR/AED and basic life support training at an affordable cost. To raise money so that we may donate AEDs to organizations who need them but cannot afford them.

The Ray of Life Foundation was founded in memory of Ray Jacobson M.D.; an emergency medicine physician who saved lived every day. Rays sudden death at the age of 39 represents the hundreds of thousand of parents, siblings, friends and loved ones who die each year in this country.

You should know...

Sudden cardiac death is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of heart function. It is the largest cause of natural death in the United States. Smoking and family history are the two most common causes of cardiovascular disease. Obesity, Diabetes and recreational drug abuse are the next most common causes of sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden Cardiac Death occurs most frequently in adults in their mid-30s to made 40s, and affects men twice as often as women. Heart Disease is the number one killer in the United States. More than 1200 people die every day in this country from sudden cardiac arrest. SCA claims six times as many lives as car accidents in the United States. From 1980 to 2000. Fifty percent (50%) of firefighters deaths occurred due to sudden cardiac arrest. Every 42 seconds another person dies in the United States from cardiac arrest. Survival for Cardiac arrest is time-dependent. In the United States between 7000 to 10,000 young people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. According to OSHA, fifteen percent (15%) of all work related fatalities our a result of sudden cardiac arrest. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute paid for a study that proves?AEDs more than double the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest. When Sudden Cardiac Arrest happens in young people, it occurs during exercise 41% of the time. According to the CDC more than 460,000 Americans dies each year from sudden cardiac arrest. For each minute that passes without defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10%. Doctor?s offices, community centers, sporting events, fitness centers, shopping malls, golf courses, Ferries/trains/planes, airports, nursing home and the workplace represent the ten most common locations for sudden cardiac arrest. American Airlines installed AEDs on their aircraft on 1996, since then sixty-six (66) lives have been saved because of those AEDs. The average survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is a dismal 5% nationally.

Please send your lifesaving donation to:

The Ray of Life Foundation 
25422 Trabuco Rd, Suite 105-477, Lake Forest, CA 92630