Win an AED For Your School

Do you know what an AED is? Do you know if your children’s schools have them?

While our kids probably don’t have to worry about suffering a heart attack, what can strike anyone is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) which is the sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. It kills approximately 250,000 people each year in the U.S. alone, more than from colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, auto accidents, AIDS, firearms, and house fires combined. Have I got your attention? Good, then read on.

Last year a friend of mine talked to me about how Congress had placed a priority on sudden cardiac arrest by declaring National CPR/AED Awareness Week the first week of June each year. The goal is to raise awareness for SCA and encourage our nation to prepare by learning CPR and how to use an AED.

While I had seen an AED before I didn’t realize the stats on how crucial they are for saving people of all ages. Once I became aware of them, I now see them all over the place, but I don’t find them as often as I would hope to.

The problem with them is that they are not cheap and average around $1,000 per unit. Improvements are being made all the time so hopefully that price will start to drop as demand raises.

Until then, would you like to win a free AED for your school?

As part of the National CPR/AED Awareness Week and, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is sponsoring the You Can Save a Life video awareness contest and giving away five AEDs to schools.

Students from elementary school through college are invited to write, film, star in and edit their own short (3-5 minute) videos promoting the importance of recognizing cardiac arrest and the use of CPR and AEDs. Entrants are encouraged to be creative and have fun with their submissions. The SCA Foundation panel of judges will review videos for overall message, creativity, originality, student participation, and likelihood to raise awareness about saving lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest. Finalists for all categories will be posted on the SCA Foundation’s website and its YouTube Channel and promoted to schools nationwide.

The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2010 so get them in today!!

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C.C. Chapman is a family first entrepreneur with two great kids (a boy and a girl) who loves the outdoors, cooking, photography and playing with technology. He is a sought after speaker, writer and content creator who looks forward to each day as a new adventure.
  • I encourage each of you to learn CPR and to get AED's in place in your community. We are blessed with volunteer & paid EMS throughout our country. However, when someone's heart stops every minute is crucial. How long are you willing to wait for someone to come who knows CPR and has an AED? Kaitlin (featured in the Save a Life at School, SCAF, publication) had walking pneumonia that caused her SCA. Lyme Disease & Coxsackie virus may also lead to SCA resulting from an enlarged heart. Your schools and community need AED's ...Kaitlin is living proof! Just last week an 11 year old boy was saved by parents & coaches who know CPR & used an AED at a baseball field...before EMS arrived.
  • I'm so grateful your daughter Kaitlin was one of the lucky ones. Her (and your) continued efforts to increase awareness and get others trained is so very much appreciated. Here's hoping it doesn't take a personal brush with SCA to gain more parents' commitment to advocate for CPR and AED training for our schools. Be well!
  • kherbert
    These are standard issue in my school district. We have them in cafeterias (usually center of school). They are also in Gyms, field houses and on sports fields.
  • That's great to hear! Your school district is among the minority nationwide. Most schools do not yet have AEDs, either because of the cost or the lack of a mandate or community support. But many programs are in place to help schools plan for, fund and/or deploy AEDs, and of course, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is available to help. We welcome your participation in the video contest, if not for your own school, perhaps for a less fortunate neighboring district or other site in your local community.
  • Thank you so much for your support, C.C. While the Foundation is a client as of this year, the cause has been near and dear to me for more than ten years, since a very fit and healthy, 29-year-old friend of mine suffered sudden cardiac arrest. Fortunately, an AED and someone trained in CPR was nearby, and he was saved. Today, my girl and his two daughters are friends and I can't imagine a life without him.

    The reality is SCA can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time, often without warning or prior symptoms...and it doesn't discriminate based on age, race or gender. Kaitlin Forbes, the lovely young lady in the photo above, is just one example. She was playing softball when she suffered SCA at the age of 15. Fortunately, her fellow students, a coach and the school nurse acted quickly to perform CPR, get the school's AED and save her life.

    Our goal is to increase awareness and encourage everyone to learn CPR and to be aware of where AEDs are (or are needed) in their community. Any one of us can help save a life. If we can help anyone with community-based initiatives, simply spreading the word, or understanding what questions to ask and to whom, please feel free to reach us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/youcansavealife) or Facebook (http://facebook.com/youcansavealife).

    We look forward to seeing everyone's video submissions. As you said, winners of each category will receive an AED for their school (or, if preferred, for your donation to another community location if the adequate number of AEDs are already in place), and the grand prize winner will also receive a Nintendo Wii gaming system.

    Thanks again for treating this important subject, C.C.!
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