Nurse Practitioner Donates Defibrillator to Youth League

Hillary Mitchell bought an automated external defibrillator for the Longview Youth Softball Association after a player was injured in a game.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy

Wall-mounted defibrillator cabinet beside a chain-link dugout fence on an empty youth softball diamond in warm afternoon light.
Longview nurse practitioner Hillary Mitchell donated an automated external defibrillator to the Longview Youth Softball Association after a player was injured in a game. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Hillary Mitchell, owner of New You Aesthetics and Wellness in Longview, donated an automated external defibrillator to the Longview Youth Softball Association. The league did not have the device on site before the donation.

Why it matters

An automated external defibrillator analyzes heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and can deliver a shock to restore a normal heartbeat. The league's president said a conversation about player safety and preparedness led to the donation.

The Longview Youth Softball Association had more than 250 girls participate in each of its last three seasons, and the league is wrapping up its fall season with a 23-team tournament at McWhorter Park. The stub does not disclose the cost of the donated defibrillator.

The players

Hillary Mitchell

Mitchell is a nurse practitioner and coach and commissioner in the Longview Youth Softball Association who owns New You Aesthetics and Wellness.

Longview Youth Softball Association

The Longview Youth Softball Association is a fairly new youth softball league offering play at six age levels from 4U to 14U.

The details

Mitchell, a nurse practitioner who previously worked as a school nurse in Gilmer, approached the league after a game in which a player was injured. She purchased the automated external defibrillator on her own and donated it, and she has since ordered one for the Kilgore Youth Softball Association.

Timeline

  1. A player was injured in a recent game, prompting the safety conversation that led to the donation.

  2. The league has had more than 250 girls participate in each of its last three seasons.

  3. Spring registration for the Longview Youth Softball Association opens after Thanksgiving.

Philanthropy Context

Private donations of automated external defibrillators to community sports organizations represent one way local equipment gaps are filled outside of formal institutional budgets. This donation follows that pattern, with an individual covering the cost of a device the league did not have on site.

Families with children in the Longview Youth Softball Association now have an automated external defibrillator available at league games and practices. Parents considering registration for spring can ask the league about its safety equipment when they sign up.

The takeaway

Community sports organizations without on-site emergency equipment may be able to close that gap through individual donations. Parents and volunteers can ask leagues what safety equipment is available before the season starts.

What happens next

Spring registration for the Longview Youth Softball Association opens after Thanksgiving.

Further reading

For more on charitable giving in the area, see Philanthropy coverage in Longview.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Longview News-Journal.

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Should local youth sports leagues be required to keep defibrillators on site?