On Tuesday September 24, 2024, Jason went to Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH) for a routine stress test. His cardiologist had recommended one after Jason told him he was training for a 5k. After the test was almost complete, Jason's vision started to turn in black and white. Before he could tell the tech something was wrong, he went unconscious. Jason suffered a cardiac arrest due to a blockage and received CPR for 40 minutes. None of his doctors expected him to survive due to his prolonged cardiac downtime. Jason soon woke up in the VWCH Emergency Room with an entire team working diligently to keep him alive. Miraculously, Jason had no neurological deficits and was taken to the cardiac cath lab to receive a stent placement. Due to the miraculous work of the VWCH staff, Jason has since been able to see his son graduate college, walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, make significant lifestyle changes to better his health, and will now walk with his friends and family in the April 5th Heart Walk. None of this would have been possible without the perfectly orchestrated response by VWCH staff. 

9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital die. In most of those cases, bystander CPR was not performed. But we can change this. Cardiac arrests happen at work, in homes, on athletic fields and in neighborhoods everywhere, and the readiness of our community can be the difference between life and death. It's time to unite, take action, and save lives. Every dollar donated, means more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone. Together, we can turn bystanders into lifesavers. We Walk to Save Lives. Help us reach our goal today and join our team for the April 5th Heart Walk.