Philadelphia Hard Hats With Heart
In late August of 2014 I went out for my typical biweekly run on the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia. Just as I was finishing my run, I collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. A group of bystanders exercising beside me on the trail immediately jumped into action and came to my aid. They performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on me for 11 minutes and revived me with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) before paramedics could arrive and take over. Had it not been for these brave bystanders, their knowledge of CPR, and the AED in the nearby park, I would not be here today to tell my story.
Not many people are as fortunate as I am, and it is for this reason that I want to pay it forward. I want to spread my story so that others will not hesitate to jump into action to help a stranger. I want to raise awareness of CPR and AED use in the community. And I want to improve the 10% survival rate of someone experiencing cardiac arrest outside of a hospital.
Every year I walk to spread my story, raise awareness, and improve the survival rate of cardiac arrest. Please help the cause by contributing to the 2018 Philadelphia Heart Walk. Thank you in advance for your support!
