By Laura Lane
The popular Little Leaguer died on Sept. 27, having just rounded the bases during a practice. Collapsing on a Levy-Lakeside Elementary School baseball field, Robbie died shortly afterward.
The Levine family formed the foundation to memorialize their son, but of equal importance, they hope to ensure that defibrillators -- devices used to restart the heart -- are available on area ball fields. That wasn't the case when Robbie's heart stopped. Although a defibrillator was stored in the Levy-Lakeside school, in accordance with state law, the Levines want to ensure that the lifesaving devices are kept outside, where children play.
"We don't know if a defibrillator would have saved Robbie, but if it was there, it might have," said his mother, Jill. "We don't want somebody else's child to be the next child on Long Island to collapse playing sports."
Little League officials and state Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. have worked closely with the Levine family. Fuschillo acquired a grant for the Merrick-North Merrick Little League to purchase defibrillators for each of its ball fields, as well as for defibrillator training for coaches and managers.
The league hopes to have the defibrillators in place by the start of the spring season, but league officials aren't sure where they'll be. "Little League doesn't recommend having defibrillators," said Butch Yamali, president of the Merrick-North Merrick league. "They're hard to maintain on the field. By putting it into the gang box, which is where we store things like the bases, it could be damaged."
Yamali said that equipment is often thrown into the gang box. He worries that a defibrillator could be damaged or found to be inoperative when it's needed. "I'd do anything that's right for the Levine family; our sons were close, played ball on the same team and went to school together," said Yamali. "But to give you an example, we put ice packs in the gang box each season, and by the third game they're either broken or missing. I'd really worry about putting a defibrillator in there."
Yamali is trying to find a spot for the devices. He plans to suggest at the next Little League board meeting that a box containing a defibrillator be attached to the back of a nearby school building.
The Robbie Levine Foundation is also working on requiring that visible signs indicate where a defibrillator is located. "The first three minutes is the best time for survival, and that's a very small window of opportunity," said Jill. "People have to know exactly where the defibrillator is."
Fuschillo agrees with the Levine family. He is introducing a law in the Senate requiring that defibrillator locations be posted at school entrances. As to where a defibrillator should be on a ball field, Fuschillo said it could be the coach's responsibility to make sure it's nearby. "I coach soccer, and if my team has the first game of the day, I set up the nets on the field, and then the last team is responsible for breaking it down," said Fuschillo. "Part of my priority this year is to see how we can maximize the use of defibrillators, whether on the athletic fields or in the schools."
Jill Levine said the foundation would like defibrillators to be an accepted part of youth athletics, as familiar to people as fire extinguishers. "What I'm finding is that people are very resistant to defibrillators, which to me seems so illogical," she said. "People say that they don't know how to use it, and that it's so complicated. It can be taught in a couple of hours, and you know, I've read online that sixth-graders are being taught how to use it."
The foundation also wants to ensure that Robbie is always remembered. It is planning a 5K race on April 30. "Robbie's Race" will be a morning of fun for families, including raffles and games. "It will be a fun run around the streets of Merrick that will end at the ball field," said Jill. "All proceeds will go to the foundation."
The New York Islanders are dedicating a game to Robbie on Feb. 28, and his Little League team has been invited. The Islanders will make a presentation to honor the little boy who was one of their most dedicated fans, and a booth will be set up in the concourse to collect donations for the foundation.
Although Robbie's first love was baseball, he also enjoyed being a Cub Scout. He'll be remembered at the April 29 Scoutwalk at Eisenhower Park. The Boy Scouts have dedicated the walk to the Merrick boy's memory.
Jill Levine is also working on helping children who are less fortunate. She said that is what Robbie would have wanted. "Robbie was a nice boy, helped people, made people laugh; he was all about fairness," said Jill. "We want to donate money to an underprivileged Little League team in Brooklyn, which was where Robbie was born. We want to be sure that the league has a defibrillator on the field. This way we can combine what was important to Robbie, helping people, and sports."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
