A young athlete’s sudden death over twenty years ago spawned a national effort that has saved countless lives since.
Everyone was shocked when Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on national TV. His life was saved because of rapid response and excellent follow-up care. That’s at the pro level. What about other sports levels, including the scholastic level?
In 1999, seventeen-year-old Adam Lemel, a high school basketball player, went into cardiac arrest while playing for Grafton (WI) High School. Lemel collapsed on the floor, and those who rushed to his side could not save him.
Lemel was not the first case, and he wasn’t the last. Many athletes have experienced a sudden collapse, and many died. But if a defibrillator had been available and deployed properly, Lemel and others would have had a chance at life.
To respond constructively, Lemel’s father began partnering with Children’s Wisconsin on an initiative named Project ADAM. The goal is to help schools across the country have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) on-site with staff trained to use them. By shocking the heart, AEDs help to restore a heart’s normal rhythm.
The collaboration has resulted in AEDs in place in more than 4,000 schools nationally. More machines are needed. No athlete should die or parents lose their child if there is a way to reduce the number of sudden deaths. And, thankfully, there is a way….
