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"Save a Life Foundation folds" by Kimberly Pohl, Daily Herald, July 15, 2009

Two years after filing a defamation lawsuit to repair its tarnished image, Save A Life Foundation of suburban Schiller Park has closed its doors for good.

The high-profile nonprofit organization, which taught schoolchildren first aid techniques such as the Heimlich maneuver, ceased operations on July 1. Days later, Save A Life's attorney filed a motion to drop the suit against three men accused of organizing a smear campaign against the foundation and harassing employees and board members, among them ex-Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins.

Founder Carol Spizzirri said the legal action became too costly to pursue, but declined to say exactly why she shuttered an organization she said helped more than 1 million children. The lawsuit claimed the defendants' actions caused lost business opportunities and partnerships.

"There's certainly a connection (between the closing and the lawsuit) but I don't want to go into it," Spizzirri said. "We're not supposed to discuss the case."

Named in the suit was Peter Heimlich, estranged son of maneuver namesake Dr. Henry Heimlich, who served on Save A Life's medical advisory board. A blogger and a doctor critical of the Heimlich maneuver were also defendants.

Chuck Goudie, an ABC 7 reporter and Daily Herald columnist, was briefly part of the suit for a derogatory report he did on Save A Life, but the case against him was dropped in March 2008. His report questioned Spizzirri's credentials and said the foundation, which received millions of dollars in government money and corporate donations, was misappropriating funds and teaching the maneuver inappropriately - all falsehoods, according to the lawsuit.

Spizzirri's new focus is fighting the type of online stalking outlined in the suit. She has a meeting scheduled later this month with several legislators and has been working with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office.

"Cyberworld is the Wild West with absolutely no governance," Spizzirri said. "Anyone can say terrible things about people, put it on the Internet and nobody can do anything about it. Reputations and credibility are ruined."