An Incredible Recovery

Earlier this month, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to Cincinnati the city in which, 10 months ago, he suffered a cardiac arrest on national television. Thankfully, the actions of medical personnel were able to save his life using CPR and an Automated External Defibrillator (AEDs). In the time since, Damar has been an advocate for expanding access to CPR and AEDs. You can watch him talk more about his story and his work here.

Every year more than 360,000 Americans suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, unfortunately only about 1 in 10 survive this traumatic event.  Each year in the United States, sudden cardiac arrest occurs in 7,000-23,000 youth under 18, that equates to between 19 and 63 a day! It is the leading cause of death for student athletes. Only 20 states, plus the District of Columbia require AEDs to be placed in schools. Even fewer states have programs to help schools purchase these life saving devices.

Legislation being considered by Congress right now would help our schools prepare to respond in a cardiac emergency. Our teen athletes should have access to the same type of responsive care that was able to save Damar Hamlin’s life earlier this year.

The Access to AEDs Act will improve the chain of survival in elementary and secondary schools by creating a federal grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support CPR and AED training of students, staff, and school volunteers.  The bill also supports the purchase of AEDs and related equipment, the development of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans, and aid for school athletic departments to screen student athletes for risk of sudden cardiac arrest, consistent with the guidelines of the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology.

Your federal lawmakers are considering legislation that would help ensure our schools are prepared to respond in a cardiac emergency.  To learn more, visit the AEDs Action Center.