Every year, more than 2,000 kids die from sudden cardiac arrest. That statistic is making schools and other places young people gather consider having lifesaving medical devices on hand.
Bradley Blackburn of CBS reports on AEDS possibly coming to your kid’s school in this week’s edition of Mondays for moms.
15-year-old Canen Dickman was at soccer practice this summer when he lost consciousness.
“We were on our second mile, and I just basically collapsed,” Canen Dickman said.
He was in sudden cardiac arrest. He has no memory of what happened, but his mother Pam Dickman does.
“I’ll never forget his eyes, because he just wasn’t there,” Pam Dickman said.
Canen’s teammates and coaches rushed to help, locating an AED, and using it within minutes.
Automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, can be lifesaving. Data shows they can increase a child’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest from 48% to 89%.
Dr. Naomi Kertesz with Nationwide Children’s Hospital says it’s critical they’re close by and used quickly. Her organization, Project Adam, works with schools and communities nationwide to create heart safe plans. Just 15 minutes of training can help teachers, coaches, and even young students be prepared.
“We ask that you do drills once a year to make sure people know where the AED is and are comfortable going to get it and putting it on the child,” Kertesz said.
It’s a lifesaving step that gave Caden Dickman another chance, and a reminder the device only works if bystanders know how to use it.
