from typing import Optional


def get_path_parameter(event, param_name: str, default_value: str = "") -> Optional[str]:
    """Returns the value for the specified path parameter or the 'default_value' if not found
    
    Args:
        event: the AWS Lambda event (usually Application Gateway event)
        param_name: the name of the path parameter
        default_value: the default value for the parameter

    Returns:
        the value in the event object of the specified path parameter
    """
    map = event.get("pathParameters")
    if map:
        return map.get(param_name, default_value)

    return default_value