Project ADAM celebrates National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month with 62^nd life saved

Oct. 12, 2012 College News - October is National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, and on the first day of the month, a 62^nd life was saved as a result of Project ADAM, a Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin program that helps schools throughout the nation prepare for and respond to cardiac emergencies. Stuart Berger, MD, Professor of Pediatrics (Cardiology) at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is Medical Director of the program.

Project ADAM^™ (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) was founded at Children’s Hospital in 1999 and has affiliates in eight other states, including Alabama, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. The most recent life saved was Hunter Helton, a 14-year-old boy from Knoxville, Tenn., who collapsed Oct. 1 during basketball practice.

Hunter’s school participates in the Project ADAM Tennessee program, which helped the school implement a public access defibrillation program, secure an automated external defibrillator (AED) and educate school leadership on how to use the equipment. He was saved because his coach recognized the symptoms, followed the recommendations of the Project ADAM program, administered CPR and used the AED.

In addition to Hunter, there have been 26 other adolescents and 35 adults saved in schools across the nation in schools served by Project ADAM.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this occurs, blood stops flowing to the heart and other organs and causes death if not treated within minutes. Fewer than one in 10 victims survive, although research suggests this number could increase to four in 10 if more people understood the need for immediate intervention with CPR and an AED. AEDs read the rhythm of the heart, and, if necessary, shock the heart back into normal rhythm. 

“It was very gratifying to see another life was saved as a result of our efforts with Project ADAM,” said Dr. Berger, who is also co-Medical Director of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Herma Heart Center. “I hope we can use this latest success as a teachable moment during National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month for the need to get more AEDs in public places.”

To learn more about free templates, plans, videos, and other resources Project ADAM provides for schools, please visit  www.ProjectADAM.com.        

Project ADAM was created in honor of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Whitefish Bay, Wis., high school student who collapsed and died while playing basketball.