The Dowdle family with an AED installed through Teddy’s Heart. Photos: Teddy’s Heart
One family turns their grief into a mission to give back.
On a May afternoon in 2022, Cottage Grove’s Dowdle family was forever changed. Their middle son, Teddy, was playing basketball at Woodridge Park, went into cardiac arrest and passed away shortly thereafter. “We were all just in shock,” says Craig Dowdle, Teddy’s father. “Thinking about it, we really wanted to do something to memorialize him.”
Teddy Dowdle, then 22, had lived with a bicuspid aortic valve—a congenital heart defect—for his entire life. He’d undergone surgery at age 15 to replace his aortic valve with a cow valve, a procedure performed by one of the country’s top cardiac surgeons. While the procedure was successful, Teddy was told he could no longer play his beloved sport of football at East Ridge High School (ERHS), a blow to him and to his active, sports-loving family.
“He still did lots of activities,” Craig says. “Basketball, intramurals and outdoor activities like hunting and fishing.” Teddy stayed involved with football at ERHS as team manager, and he especially enjoyed his brother Carter’s senior year when the team went to the state championship. “They lost,” Craig remembers. “But it was just a great time for the whole family.”
Now, the Dowdles are channeling their grief into action. Their nonprofit, Teddy’s Heart, aims to raise awareness of the importance of CPR training and raise funding to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in local parks across Woodbury and Cottage Grove—and the organization has began placing AEDs around neighboring communities, including St. Paul Park and Stillwater.
Craig says the idea started in late 2022, and continued inspiration for Teddy’s Heart came in the form of a very public cardiac arrest—the collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during an NFL game in early 2023. Hamlin’s life was saved thanks to swift CPR and access to an AED, and that moment became a turning point. “That just spurred us to say, ‘Hey, maybe what we need to do is get AEDs in more places,’” Craig says.
Teddy Dowdle
Working with local EMS and fire departments, Teddy’s Heart has placed 20 AED units in the most high-traffic parks in Woodbury and Cottage Grove. “We went all in on this thing as a family,” Craig says. That includes Teddy’s mother, Emily Dowdle; brother and sister-in-law, Carter and Courtney Dowdle; and Teddy’s younger sister, Olivia Dowdle.
The organization also emphasizes the importance of hands-only CPR and encourages community members to get CPR training. According to Craig, the family learned that while CPR is vital, the real game-changer in a cardiac emergency is an AED shock within the first three to five minutes. “Your life expectancy is less than 5 to 8 percent if you don’t get that shock,” Craig says. “It was no fault of anybody’s that the paramedics didn’t get to Woodridge Park in the first couple minutes that day, but it could have made a difference. There’s definitely no doubt about it.”
In addition to placing AEDs, Teddy’s Heart participates in numerous community events to offer CPR and AED training. They’re also looking to collaborate with more local communities; Craig notes that a recent event in Stillwater drove home the mission. A high school football player there suffered a cardiac arrest at practice, much like Hamlin. Thanks to an AED in the building, the player’s life was saved. “That’s what we thrive on; that’s what we want,” Craig says. “Every time an AED is placed, it’s like there’s another stone for Teddy.”
For the Dowdle family, each new AED unit is a tribute to Teddy’s memory and a chance to prevent another family from experiencing the same heartbreak. Craig says, “If we can do one thing to save another life for his life, that’s our main goal.”
To learn more about Teddy’s Heart or make a donation, visit teddys-heart.org. The organization hosts an annual fundraising event each September.
Facebook: Teddy’s Heart
Instagram: @teddys.heart1
