Each year, approximately 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the US Centers for Disease Control. To prevent future tragedies, New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone is taking action with the Hearts Act bill.
The proposed Hearts Act aims to increase awareness of cardiomyopathy, a disorder that can lead to cardiac arrest. According to Rep. Pallone, cardiomyopathy primarily affects young people, particularly American student-athletes.
Razeenah Walker, recalls the loss of her grandson, Kittim Sherrod, a 17-year-old football star and all-around athlete at Edison High School in New Jersey: “Everyone tried to understand what happened because he was the strongest of us all.“Kittim collapsed in 2009 from an enlarged heart and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Joanne Babbitt shares similar pain, having lost her 16-year-old son, John, in identical circumstances.”He was running on the field and all of a sudden he fell. He hit his head on the stands“, she relates on the microphone of CBS New York.
Towards active prevention
Meeting with Rep. Frank Pallone at Edison High School, both families support legislation to prevent sudden cardiac arrest among young people, particularly student-athletes. This proposal would require the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and other agencies to develop emergency response plans for schools, including guidelines for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training. and the installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which have the power to save lives.
“By using a defibrillator and starting CPR within minutes of a cardiac arrest, your chances of survival increase by 50% to 70%.“, Pallone points out. Parents would also receive risk assessment sheets to determine if their children have symptoms requiring further testing. Following the Sherrod tragedy, Edison High School took action by installing six mounted defibrillators and eight portable, ensuring that such a tragedy would never happen again.
2023-12-19 17:07:25
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