RICHMOND, Va. — February is Heart Health Awareness Month and in honor of National CPR Day on Tuesday, athletes, advocates, and lawmakers came together in Richmond to advocate for policies that will save young lives from cardiac arrest.
The American Heart Association and the Smart Heart Sports Coalition established by the NFL held a rally at the Virginia State Capitol to lobby for legislation that would require cardiac emergency response plans in all Virginia public schools.
They focused on Senate Bill 181, which passed the Virginia Senate and is now waiting on approval in the House of Delegates. It would require all public schools in Virginia to develop a cardiac emergency response plan and enhance school personnel's ability to respond to an emergency.
Attending the rally was Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) — a former football player himself — along with Michael Robinson, a Penn State legend and Super Bowl champion.
They mentioned Damar Hamlin — the Buffalo Bills safety who nearly died after suffering a cardiac event during a game last year — and the impact that event has made on bringing focus to these issues and getting more safety measures in place, especially for young athletes.
According to the American Heart Association, about 40% of the 23,000 children who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are sports-related.
This push comes a year after Virginia unanimously passed Senate Bill 1453, which required local school boards to place AEDs in every school.
The American Heart Association says that in schools with AEDs, approximately 70% of children survive cardiac arrest, which is seven times the overall survival rate for children.