Nine out of ten people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital don?t survive. In most of those cases, no one stepped forward to perform CPR. But this doesn?t have to be the ending, we can change this together.
Cardiac arrests don?t wait for the ?right time? or place. They strike at work, in our homes, on athletic fields, and in neighborhoods everywhere. In those moments, the readiness of a bystander, the willingness to act, can be the difference between life and death.
On February 1, 2020, my life changed forever. I suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in my home. My partner, who had completed CPR training through his workplace just one week before, stepped in and began CPR. Police, Fire, and EMS responded swiftly and worked as a team to get me to the hospital. There, I began my recovery and learned the reason for my arrest: Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a rare, inherited condition where the heart muscle is replaced by fibrous and fatty tissue, leading to abnormal rhythms and sudden cardiac death.
The odds were not in my favor, only 1% of people with ARVC survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. But thanks to CPR, rapid response, and the dedication of first responders and medical teams, I am here today. I don?t take a single part of my journey for granted.
As a former EMS provider, a patient, and now a survivor, I know firsthand how critical preparedness is. CPR isn?t just a skill; it?s a gift we can give each other. It is hope in the middle of chaos. It is life when seconds matter.
That is why I walk. I walk to raise awareness. I walk to ensure more people are trained in lifesaving CPR. I walk for more research, more education, and more survivors. Every dollar donated helps turn bystanders into lifesavers, and every lifesaver creates the chance for another story like mine.
I advocate to save lives. I educate to save lives. I walk to save lives.
Help me reach my goal today, and together, let?s build a community where survival is the rule, not the exception.