We Can Save Lives this Heart Month

February 1^st marks the beginning of American Heart Month. Reflecting on the start of Heart Month, we are reminded of a sad statistic. Hundreds of thousands of people will suffer sudden cardiac arrest this year, but unfortunately only about 10% survive.

When a bystander promptly starts CPR and uses a publicly available automated external defibrillator (AED), it can double or even triple the chances of a victim surviving a sudden cardiac arrest. A few months ago, we featured the story of Collin and Meghann Etheridge of Columbus, Georgia (read more about their story here).

At the age of 13, Collin suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while in school. Collin and his family were lucky; their school had gone above and beyond in preparing for cardiac emergencies. The school had an emergency response plan, staff trained in CPR and easy access to an AED that helped keep Collin alive until he was airlifted to a hospital. Too many kids today do not have access to those same resources. Each year in the United States, sudden cardiac arrest occurs in 7,000- 23,000 youth under eighteen, and it is the leading cause of death for student athletes.

We have a chance to change that. The Access to AEDs Act was proposed in Congress just over one year ago and has been steadily gaining support. This Heart Month, there’s a real chance to see major action on this bill. This is because of you and other You’re the Cure advocates.

As we begin Heart Month, we need to continue the momentum and ask our Representatives and Senators to join the bipartisan coalition of elected officials committed to increasing the likelihood that children will survive a sudden cardiac arrest in schools.

Ask your Member of Congress to Co-sponsor the Bipartisan Access to AEDS Act Today

The Etheridge family gets to watch their son grow up, but too many other families lose children to sudden cardiac arrest. We can change that, and we must. This Heart Month, we’re going to do everything we can. We need you to join us.