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On August 3, 2022, Ashley Dwight’s son, a 17-year-old Blue Valley High School junior with no prior health issues collapsed at his baseball lesson and went into Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). His two coaches jumped into action and performed bystander (hands-only) CPR for approximately 13 minutes until the first responders arrived. He survived that experience, and today lives a healthy life and has no brain damage, ONLY because two men nearby had the knowledge and the courage to perform bystander CPR.
Fueled by a mission to educate as many people in the community on the proper execution of hands-only CPR and AED training, Dwight and her friend Jillaine vonSeldeneck, created 13BEATS, facilitating educational and training events in partnership with Johnson County HeartSafe and Kansas City area’s first responders. In addition, they work to advocate for the legislation and the distribution of more AEDs throughout all communities.
Did You Know?
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the #1 killer of student-athletes.
- Over 350,000 SCAs occur outside of the hospital each year, and 90% are fatal.
- Over 70% of those SCAs occur outside the hospital and in a home or residence -even more reason for everyone in your home to become CPR-trained.
- Bystander/Hands-only CPR can keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to the brain and other organs.
- The lack of oxygen-rich blood can cause brain damage in only a few minutes.
13BEATS Initiatives
Survival rates for someone experiencing cardiac arrest increase drastically when bystander CPR is performed promptly. 13BEATS wants to ensure those rates rise even more across the metro by taking simple steps.
Have everyone in your home train in bystander CPR, even your kids
Area first responders say in their experience anyone over age nine can learn bystander CPR. However, 13BEATS believes younger children who have been trained with their families can help by calling 911, locating and grabbing an AED and more.
While CPR certification takes more time and practice, bystander CPR training only takes 10 minutes or less to learn. Knowing the basic steps to keep someone alive until help arrives is universal to all age groups.
Know how to locate an AED
When used within the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest, the combination of CPR and early defibrillation is effective in saving lives. Knowing where to locate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can shave off critical time in an emergency. Download an app to your phone such as PulsePoint AED to easily locate the closest AED to you when needed.
Keep up with 13BEATS events
Since its inception, 13BEATS has now trained over 1,500 members of the Kansas City community in bystander CPR and the use of an AED along with wonderful partners in the mission such as The Kansas City Royals and KC Current. Follow 13BEATS on their socials to keep up to date on all of their community bystander and AED training sessions.