MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Medicine Children’s Heart Center is now the West Virginia affiliate for Project ADAM, helping to provide schools and community centers with life-saving automated external defibrillator (AED) education.
Project ADAM is a nationwide initiative aimed at preventing sudden cardiac death in children and adolescents. It was named after Adam Lemel, a Wisconsin high school athlete who tragically lost his life to sudden cardiac arrest.
An automated external defibrillator (AED)
Heartbeats of Hope is the WVU Medicine Children’s Heart Center affiliation. It is committed to the health and well-being of students and community members in West Virginia.
“Project ADAM has been a vital facilitator in spreading the word about sudden cardiac events, the importance of rapid response, and, more importantly, rapid and immediate availability of AEDs in the survival of these victims,” Tracy Coup, A.P.R.N., co-coordinator of Heartbeats of Hope and WVU Medicine Children’s Pediatric Cardiology nurse practitioner, said.
“These are statistically rare events, particularly in children, but have a very high chance of death if there is not a strong, rapid response. Project ADAM has given a voice to the reality of this not just being something that happens to ‘old’ people and raising community awareness of the steps needed to improve the chances of recovery.”
Schools and community centers in West Virginia are encouraged to become affiliated with Heartbeats of Hope and prioritize cardiac safety because in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, time is critical.
“In a cardiac emergency, every second and minute play a pivotal role in determining the outcome,” Jai Udassi, M.D., medical director of Heartbeats of Hope and chief of Pediatric Cardiology at WVU Medicine Children’s, said. “The human heart relies on a continuous and rhythmic flow of blood to supply oxygen to vital organs, including the brain. When someone experiences a cardiac event, such as a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest, the normal blood flow is disrupted, and the clock starts ticking.”
Through the designation, sites will be required to have an AED present in an easily accessible area and proper training for staff to use the equipment. Heartbeats of Hope will also assist schools and community locations in creating a comprehensive emergency response plan.
“I have cared for children after they were fortunate enough to survive a sudden arrhythmia event because of AED use,” Coup said. “If we could get every school and community building in our state to join us in the vision of WVU Medicine Children’s Heartbeats of Hope and Project ADAM by taking the steps to be a designated safe school or community building, it would be an amazing accomplishment for all of us involved.”
For more information about WVU Medicine Children’s Heartbeats of Hope, an affiliate of Project ADAM, and how to get involved, visit WVUKids.com/Heart or e-mail ProjectADAM@WVUMedicine.org.