My Nonprofit Reviews

Hundreds of people across America die needlessly every day from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) essentially because the public does not understand the critical role that they MUST play in order to give the victim of SCA any significant chance of survival. SCA can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. In most cases, the victim has no history of heart disease. SCA is unexpected. It strikes without warning.
The critical role that the public, YOU!, must play translates into the following key steps:
1. Call 911 immediately to get help (EMS) on the way;
2. Start CPR to increase the victim's chance of survival when EMS arrives;
(In the words of Mitchell Brown, former Director of Public Safety for Columbus, Ohio, "Even if EMS arrives at the scene within an average of seven minutes, in most cases the victim’s fate is determined before the paramedic arrives.”)
3. If available, quickly apply a relatively simple consumer "heart-shocker" (called an AED) to "jump start" the heart. It talks you through the steps!
(Note: A "heart-shocker" AED is essentially the same equipment that EMS will use to try to save the victim as soon as they get to your house or office. If you have an AED and use it even just a minute or two before EMS arrives, the victim's chances of survival are increased.)

I support and endorse the SCA Foundation for two major reasons:
1. Their tireless work promoting and educating the public in the important lifesaving steps above, AND
2. Their demonstrated expertise and compassion in celebrating the lives of individuals who have been saved, as well as those family members who stepped forward and took the valiant critical steps of calling 911, kneeling down and performing CPR, and using an AED. The Foundation’s survivor network is a testament to the fact that bystander action makes a difference.

The work of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is indeed vital. The organization works with passion and persistence to raise awareness about this life-threatening condition—encouraging the public to learn how to save a life by starting CPR and using AEDs, encouraging widespread deployment of AEDs, and supporting people affected by sudden cardiac arrest.

As a researcher who has studied bystander intervention and helped develop CPR and AED training programs, I believe the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation’s work is outstanding.