Heart Marks: Add Your School's AED Locations To Your School Maps and Save Lives!

My grandsons, Zak, 8 and Quest, age 13 have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  Zak will be having an ICD/Pacemakerimplanted in October to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).  You may not have heard about HCM but it affects 1 in every 500 people.  Many are undiagnosed.  If you've heard about an athlete that lost his life suddenly while playing sports, you have likely heard about an HCM victim.  HCM is genetic.  My grandsons' father, 34 years of age, is waiting for a heart transplant because of the effects of HCM.  The boys' Aunt Janice passed away at 16 years old, Aunt Priscilla passed away at 33 years of age, and their paternal grandmother passed away at 58, again from HCM.

So, what does that have to do with Heart Marks and school maps? 

It's simple!  Just do the arithmetic and it is easy to see that all educators are likely to have a student at some time in their classroom with HCM.  If not your student, then it may be a fellow teacher down the hall.  Now, take a look at your school map.  Do you know where the AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are located in your school?  Could you find one if you needed to?

Heart Marks has one purpose.  It is free and it can save a life.  Simply agree to add AED defibrillator locations to your school maps.  If you aren't the decision maker, then all Heart Marks asks is that you advocate for the addition of the AED defibrillators to the maps.  Simple, right?

But, these simple steps could save a life of a child.  If Zak and Quest were your grandchildren or your sons, would you commit to this simple step?

Please say YES!  Show your support of this cause by "liking" us at www.facebook.com/aedheartmarks.  Then, spread the word by sharing this with everyone.  And, don't forget to share with us when you have the AED locations added to the school maps and the step that will keep our children safer!