MERRICK , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` This is a healthy 9-year-old boy . How in the world could his heart just stop ? '' Robbie Levine died at age 9 after running the bases at a Little League game . Standing in the emergency room the night of September 27 , 2005 , that 's the question Jill Levine kept asking herself . She 'd just gotten news that she found impossible to comprehend : Her eldest son , Robbie , a fourth grader , had died . About an hour earlier , Robbie had been running the bases at Little League practice near their home in Merrick , a suburb of New York City . Levine 's husband , Craig , who coached the team , was standing at first base when Robbie ran by him . `` I remember thinking I 'd never seen him run so fast , '' he recalled . But seconds later , he turned to see that his son had collapsed right on home plate . Craig Levine ran to Robbie 's side , realized that Robbie did n't have a pulse and began administering CPR . Several minutes passed before an ambulance arrived . Robbie was pronounced dead at the hospital . With two other young children , Jill Levine says she did n't give herself the option to become paralyzed with grief after her tragic loss . Instead , she took action . `` I knew that -LSB- Robbie -RSB- could have had a chance if there was a defibrillator , '' she says . So for the past 2 1/2 years , Levine has dedicated herself to raising awareness about the need for these cardiac devices in youth sports , which she does through her Robbie Levine Foundation , co-founded with her husband . Automated external defibrillators -- also known as AEDs -- administer electrical shocks that can restore a heart to its normal rhythm . When used in conjunction with CPR , these machines can make the difference between life and death . The American Heart Association reports that after sudden cardiac arrest , every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival by 7-10 percent . More than 165,000 adults die from sudden cardiac arrest each year , according to the heart association . While statistics are n't kept regarding the number of children who experience such incidents , some states have laws requiring defibrillators in schools . Yet Levine believes that if an incident occurs on a playing field , even having a defibrillator in a nearby school building might not be enough . `` Literally every minute counts , '' she stresses . `` When you 're out using a field , it 's too far away . '' Watch Levine recall the personal tragedy that motivated her to take action '' Through her foundation , Levine works to convince youth sports leagues to buy defibrillators and get people trained to operate them . She spends her days sending out an educational DVD produced by her foundation and talking to parents and coaches . Since defibrillators cost between $ 1,200 and $ 1,600 , her foundation often donates one to a league that commits to starting a program . But even so , Levine often encounters resistance . `` The biggest obstacles that we face are people 's fears , '' she says . `` But I just keep repeating over and over again : ` If it 's not there , it ca n't help . ' '' Watch Levine and her husband describe some misperceptions about defibrillators '' Levine 's goal is to make defibrillators mandatory safety equipment for youth sports , like a batting helmet in baseball . To date , she has raised approximately $ 200,000 and has helped put more than 100 defibrillators on playing fields around the country . Watch Levine explain some ways to help keep young athletes safe '' For Levine , keeping other kids safe is the best way to honor Robbie . `` This horrific thing happened to us , '' she says . `` All I can do is make it so that no other family ever has to go through this . ''