Two years after creating a business plan with marker and construction paper, 11-year-old Lucas Vetter has raised $112,000 to purchase life-saving CPR machines for local fire departments.
When Lucas was 9 years old, he visited Howell Area Fire Department with his family, which is where he first saw the LUCAS CPR device.
LUCAS, which stands for Lund University Cardiac Assist System, is a machine that provides automatic chest compressions to a patient. The machines prevent strain on first responders and keep their hands free to help more people. Each device costs roughly $16,000, which is a barrier for smaller fire departments. "The lieutenant showed me the LUCAS device and told me how much they helped and how much they cost," Lucas said. "Then I thought, what if I could help get that for them?"