Protecting Youth from Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Our Mission:
Saving Hearts, Saving Lives

Saving Hearts Foundation works to protect youth from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and preventable sudden cardiac death through FREE heart screenings. We aim to educate young adults about SCA, organize local heart screenings, and advocate for change in our communities and beyond.

SCA is a Massive Problem

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. While often linked to chronic medical conditions, SCA alarmingly stands as the leading cause of death among athletes and on school campuses.1,2 Alarmingly, 1 in 300 young individuals harbors an undetected heart condition, significantly heightening their risk of SCA.3 Each year, an estimated 7,000 to 23,000 young lives are stricken annually.4,5

Despite these harrowing statistics, routine physical examination for athletes and young individuals does not include preventative heart screenings. This lack of early detection measures leads to missed opportunities for intervention.

At Saving Hearts Foundation, we are dedicated to closing this critical healthcare gap. We offer complimentary heart screenings to athletes, aiming to detect and address potential risks before they escalate. Our commitment is to safeguard young hearts and raise awareness about the pressing risks of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Source 1: Journal of Athletic Training 2017;52(4):000-000 Harmon et al DOI: 10.1161/CirculatoinAHA.115.015431
Source 2: https://www.asumag.com/safety-security/fire-life-safety/article/20850611/shocking-statistics
Source 3: This represents the average from a variety of research: Fuller (1997), Corrado (2006), AHA (2007), Wilson (2008), Bessem (2009), Baggish (2010), Harmon (2015), Drezner (2016)
Source 4: American Heart Association Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics 2019 Update
Source 5: Characteristics of paediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Okubu et al 2020

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Victims of cardiac arrest outside of a hosptial setting (schools, gyms, athletic events, etc) with an AED have a 93% chance of survival versus 9% chance when no AED is present.

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Victims of cardiac arrest outside of a hosptial setting (schools, gyms, athletic events, etc) with an AED have a 93% chance of survival versus 9% chance when no AED is present.

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Victims of cardiac arrest outside of a hosptial setting (schools, gyms, athletic events, etc) with an AED have a 93% chance of survival versus 9% chance when no AED is present.

Source 1: Corrado D, Basso C, Rizzoli G, Schiavon M, Thiene G. Does sports activity enhance the risk of sudden death in adolescents and young adults? JACC. 2003; 42: 1959-1963.
Source 2: Maron BJ, Haas TS, Ahluwalia A, Rutten-Ramos SC. Incidence of cardiovascular sudden deaths in Minnesota high school athletes. Heart Rhythm. 2013; 10: 374-377.
Source 3: Toresdahl BG, Rao AL, Harmon KG, Drezner JA. Incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in high school student athletes on school campus. Heart Rhythm. 2014; 11: 1190-1194.

Athletes face a three times greater risk of SCA compared to non athletes

Source: Pelto HF, Drezner JA. Design and implementation of an emergency action plan for sudden cardiac arrest in sport. J Cardiovasc Translational Res. 2020; 13: 331-338.

Nearly 75% of all SCA cases in young athletes occur in basketball, football, and soccer players

Source: Harmon KG, Asif IM, Maleszewski JJ, et al. Incidence, cause, and comparative frequency of sudden cardiac death in national collegiate athletic association athletes: a decade in review. Circulation. 2015; 132: 10-19.

Black athletes were nearly three times more likely to suffer from SCA when compared to their white counterparts

Male athletes were nearly four times more likely to have an episode of SCA when compared to female athletes

Source: Corrado D, Pelliccia A, Bjørnstad HH, et al. Cardiovascular pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden death: proposal for a common European protocol. Consensus statement of the study group of sport cardiology of the working group of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise physiology and the working group of myocardial and pericardial diseases of the European Society of Cardiology. Eur Heart J. 2005; 26: 516-524.

The rate of SCD in Italy declined by nearly 90% after the implementation of ECG screening

The European Sports Committee (ESC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) advocate for the addition of the ECG to the sports screening

Heart Screenings

Individuals Screened

Requiring Cardiologist Follow-Up

Dangerous Cardiac Abnormalities Detected

Get Your Heart Screened!

We host several screenings a year. Find out when our next event will take place and where you can get your heart screened for FREE.

About SCA

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is scary. Get the facts about SCA, bystander intervention, and learn how you can protect your heart and those of others.

Support Our Cause

We need your help. From donations, to community/partnership support, to signing up to host a future heart screening — everyone can make an impact.

What Our Participants
Have Said

At 14 years old, Julia was an accomplished athlete, competing in multiple sports and balancing her schoolwork on top of practices, games, and meets. Because of a community heart screening, she was discovered to have Long QT syndrome - a high-risk condition for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

“Participating in that heart screening saved my life. Discovering my condition at a young age has had a profound impact on my life - all for the better."

Julia Kawas
Outreach Director - Saving Hearts Foundation

Help support

our efforts

Donations of any size are always appreciated and are a tremendous help for us to continue our heart screening efforts and combat SCA.

Help support

our efforts

Donations of any size are always appreciated and are a tremendous help for us to continue our heart screening efforts and combat SCA.

Our

Community Partners

Thank you to our past and present community partners and collaborators who have supported
our efforts over the years.

Protecting Youth from Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Our Mission: Saving Hearts, Saving Lives

Saving Hearts Foundation works to protect youth from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and preventable sudden cardiac death through FREE heart screenings. We aim to educate young adults about SCA, organize local heart screenings, and advocate for change in our communities and beyond.

SCA is a Massive Problem

Heart Screenings

Individuals Screened

Requiring Cardiologist Follow-Up

Dangerous Cardiac Abnormalities Detected

Get Your Heart Screened!

We host several screenings a year. Find out when our next event will take place and where you can get your heart screened for FREE.

About SCA

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is scary. Get the facts about SCA, bystander intervention, and learn how you can protect your heart and those of others.

Support Our Cause

We need your help. From donations, to community/partnership support, to signing up to host a future heart screening — everyone can make an impact.

Our Mission:
Saving Hearts, Saving Lives