Political Quotes

“Mr. President, half of heart-related deaths in the United States are caused by a hard-to-diagnose condition called sudden cardiac arrest, SCA. Different from a heart attack, SCAs are caused by an electrical problem in the heart that, once triggered, requires immediate treatment: survival rates plummet 7 to 10 percent with every minute that passes. Each year, only 8 percent of the 295,000 people who suffer an SCA outside of a hospital survive. A few years ago, June 1- June 7 was designated as CPR/AED Awareness Week to share these startling statistics and to begin to change them. By educating and encouraging communities to establish organized programs that could provide CPR and AED training to the public, lives have already been saved. Anyone can suffer a sudden cardiac arrest, no matter one's age or gender. In fact, many victims appear healthy, not having a known heart disease or any other risk factors. For example, student athletes with no previous heart ailments have been stricken with SCA in the middle of practice or during games. Josh Miller was one such student athlete. The act that bears his name--the Josh Miller HEARTS, Helping Everyone Access Responsible Treatment in Schools, Act--creates a grant program through the Department of Education for public and private schools to purchase automated external defibrillators, AEDs, and to train staff in the use of CPR and defibrillation within the context of a coordinated emergency response plan.…”