In Honour of My Dad, For Our Community: Help Bring a SaveStation to Rotary Park

About My Campaign

In February of 2026, I woke to a phone call that changed my life forever. I was told that my father, Rohan Leo, had tragically passed away at just 48 years old. What began as a simple respiratory infection the week before was dismissed by his local doctors, leaving his illness untreated until it ultimately led to sudden cardiac arrest. In a single morning, my family and I lost the man who filled our lives with love, warmth, and joy, and the world lost someone who gave so much of himself to others.

My father lived his entire life in South Africa, which meant my time with him was always shorter than I wished. When I was nine, he surprised me with a visit to Orangeville, and those few weeks remain some of my most cherished memories. We spent every day exploring parks, playing sports, wandering through town, and laughing until our stomachs hurt. Those moments shaped me, and they are the memories I hold closest to my heart.

To honour him, to keep his spirit alive, and to share the same generous, community‑minded energy he carried so naturally, I am working to install a SaveStation Outdoor AED in Orangeville’s Rotary Park. This project is my way of turning heartbreak into hope of ensuring that his passing inspires something life‑saving for others.

Rotary Park is one of Orangeville’s most vibrant community spaces, home to tennis courts, baseball diamonds, soccer and lacrosse fields, a skate park, and soon a new playground. It’s a place where people of all ages gather to play, move, and connect. But with busy, active spaces also comes the possibility of emergencies, and right now, the nearest AED is locked inside a storage building that most people cannot access. In a cardiac arrest, where every second matters, not knowing where to find an accessible AED can be the difference between life and loss.

Most AEDs in our community are kept inside buildings that close after working hours, leaving outdoor spaces without reliable access. By installing a SaveStation and raising awareness, my goal is to expand the availability of these life‑saving devices so that no family has to experience what mine did, a cardiac arrest with no accessible AED nearby. This is my way of honouring my dad’s legacy: transforming his story into action, protection, and community care.

My father was one of the most loving, selfless, and honourable people I have ever known. I know he would be proud to see his memory carried forward in a way that protects others and encourages people to understand the importance of AED accessibility. This project is for him, and for every heart that might one day need saving.

With less than 10 minutes to save a life from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, we all deserve the power to act. Automated External Defibrillators empower everyday people to save lives, and SaveStations make them available 24/7 in public spaces around the world.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest remains one of the leading causes of death, striking anyone, anywhere, at any time. With greater access, education, and awareness, we can make a profound difference - one that honours the people we’ve lost and protects the people we love.

This project is incredibly close to my heart. While this AED cannot bring my dad back, it allows his spirit, his kindness, and the inspiration he gave to others to live on in a tangible and life‑saving way. By helping make this SaveStation possible, you are not only supporting our community, you are helping me honour him in the most meaningful way I know.

Thank you for standing with me, for helping carry his legacy forward, and for allowing his memory to shine through the ability to save others. Your support means more than words could ever express, and I am endlessly grateful for every person who chooses to be part of this project's fruition.