The American Heart Association, the Maryland Women’s Legislative Caucus, and the American College of Cardiology hosted our 2014 Maryland Legislative Event and Lobby Day on February 6th in the House Building in Annapolis. It was a very successful event and greatly appreciated by all those who attended.
More than 145 legislators and staff attended the legislative heart healthy event where they were offered CPR training, a heart healthy breakfast, screening by Dare to Care, and health consulting by the American College of Cardiology. Over 30 You’re the Cure advocates attended the event and met with their legislators.
The focus of this year’s lobby day was Breanna’s Bill, which proposes making CPR training a high school graduation requirement. The bill is named after Breanna Sudano, a sixteen-year-old girl from Perry Hall, Maryland. Three years ago, Breanna went into cardiac arrest after playing field hockey. Her coaches and a few parents at the game saved her life by performing CPR until the paramedics arrived. Breanna and her mom have lobbied strongly for this bill.
A Virginia couple helped too. The Griffin’s lost their twelve-year-old daughter, Gwyneth, in 2012 when she went into cardiac arrest and suffered severe brain damage because she did not receive CPR until medical personnel arrived. Last year, the Griffin’s helped to introduce and pass a similar law, Gwyneth’s Law, in Virginia. Through their loss, they have committed to helping the AHA in passing similar laws across the nation and were ready to share their story in Annapolis.
The legislative event and lobby day received substantial news coverage. A number of media stations, including WBAL-TV 11, ABC2, WUSA 9 DC, WJLA TV ABC7, Associated Press, 99.1 News Radio, Capital News Service, and WPOC, attended the press conference. Their stories and clips from the press conference can be viewed at: WBAL-TV 11 – Baltimore News, ABC2 News – Baltimore, WUSA 9 DC, and WJLA TV ABC7 News DC.
Our many partners helped make this event possible including: the Maryland Women’s Legislative Caucus, the American College of Cardiology, the Chesapeake Training Center and Baltimore County Fire Department which provided CPR training for the legislators and advocates, The Medicine Company which generously provided CPR Anytime Training kits for the legislators, and Dare to Care which provided on-sight cardiovascular screening.
Click here to view photos from the event.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the event and who supported Breanna’s Bill!
(Pictured above left to right: Senator Pugh, Breanna Sudano, Rebecca Sudano)
Showing 1 reaction