New legislation backed by the American Heart Association would require all Oregon schools to have cardiac emergency response plans in place.
Research shows that one in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk.
Mary Taft’s daughter, Nina, owes her life to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED.
Taft, a Bend resident, was watching 13-year-old Nina play soccer when the young athlete suddenly collapsed, unconscious.
Since Nina had no history of heart problems, Taft said she didn’t know what was going on.
“My husband just launched into action,” said Taft. “He immediately started doing CPR, which he had not done since he was a lifeguard in high school, so over 30 years ago.”
Taft said it was thanks to her husband’s quick thinking and the soccer coach who knew there was an AED nearby that saved Nina’s life.
House bill 2529 would provide funding for Oregon schools to conduct regular cardiac emergency drills and have AEDs accessible within 3 minutes from any location.
Nina has since had open heart surgery, said Taft, and made a full recovery after the sudden cardiac arrest.
Since the incident, Taft has started a heart-safe program in her community. She urged people to support the new legislation.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of young athletes in our country,” said Taft, “so anything we can do to make our community safer our schools safer, we should be doing that.”
According to the American Heart Association, about 90% of people who suffer heart attacks outside the hospital die. CPR, especially when performed immediately, can triple a victim’s rate of survival.
Isobel Charle, Newsservice
