40,000th Teen Screened
Our Heart Month 2024 event marked our 70th screening and 40,000th teen screened in the 15th year after losing Eric Paredes to an undetected heart condition. Family and friends touched by the foundation’s work share their stories to underscore why preventative heart screening is critical to finding youth at risk.
What Call Will You Make?
1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk for SCA. Of those stricken, ~50% reported no symptoms or family risk factors because warning signs are often missed by families and medical providers. Make the right call by engaging in regular, comprehensive cardiac risk assessments with your child AND their practitioner.
Is Your AED Ready to Rescue?
When seconds could mean the difference between life and death for an SCA victim, your AED must be visible, accessible and maintained, just like a fire extinguisher. It matters where you place it, if anyone can reach it, that someone takes care of it, if everyone can spot it, and that your community knows they can use it!
Make Prevention Part of Your Practice
Primary care practitioners are on the front lines when it comes to protecting young hearts from sudden death. And yet, cardiac risk is an often overlooked area of assessment, with standard exams missing up to 90% of youth at risk. Learn how to incorporate prevention into your practice.
Prevention Training for Coaches & Officials
California law mandates SCA Prevention Training for coaches, sports officials and administrators of youth sports programs. Californians can take our FREE training, produced in collaboration with Parent Heart Watch and Coach Safely. Watch this 1-minute preview, then register for the training here.
SCA Prevention for Athletic Trainers
Athletic trainers know that SCA is a real threat to young athletes. This training helps you to create a culture of prevention in your sports program by incorporating protocol to recognize warning signs of an undetected heart condition that put athletes at risk, and prepare your community to respond to a cardiac emergency.
Don’t Just Check the Box…Check In!
Standard exams don’t check for heart conditions that put youth at risk. Parents often rush through health history forms alone instead of completing them with their youth. Coaches, counselors and caregivers are unprepared to recognize warning signs of a potential heart condition. Be prepared!
Be Prepared for A Cardiac Emergency
Learn the Cardiac Chain of Survival—where seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Learn how to act quickly and work together to recognize SCA, call 911, administer hands-only CPR, use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and direct EMS to the scene.
Parent/Team Meeting Video
Use this video at your team meetings with parents and student athletes to explain the new Eric Paredes Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act and how youth and adults must be aware of potential warning signs of a heart condition, and be prepared to act in the event of a cardiac emergency.
Parent Heart Watch—SCA Awareness
Sudden cardiac arrest is the #1 killer of student athletes and contributes to the #2 medical cause of death under 25, and is the leading cause of death on school campuses. These parents share their personal story of loss to help others understand the critical need to protect young hearts.
Esté preparado para una emergencia cardíaca
Aprenda la cadena de supervivencia cardíaca, donde los segundos pueden significar la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. Aprenda cómo actuar rápidamente y trabajar juntos para reconocer SCA, llame al 911, administre RCP solo con las manos, use un desfibrilador externo automático (DEA) y dirija EMS a la escena.
Play it Smart. Save a Heart with Jon Dorenbos
Jon distinguished himself during a 14-year NFL career. He’s been featured on America’s Got Talent and The Ellen Degeneres Show. But an undetected heart condition stopped him in his tracks. Learn more about preventative heart screenings to protect the 1 in 300 youth at risk for SCA.
Save A Life Foundation
In Eric’s name, and for all those lost to sudden cardiac arrest from a heart condition no one knew they had, the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation continues its mission to educate youth, parents, educators, coaches and elected officials about the incidence of SCA in youth and prevention strategies to avoid a tragedy that could be a heartbeat away.
A Parent’s Guide to Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Learn the true incidence of sudden cardiac arrest in youth—a syndrome that strikes thousands of youth each year. Parents must know the potential warning signs of a heart condition, investigate family risk factors, and be prepared to respond to a cardiac emergency.
Screenings Save Lives: Devin’s Story
Deeply moved by Eric Paredes’ death, Erin had her doctor screen her son, Devin, an athlete with no health issues. The screening not only revealed an Atrial Septal Defect, but a Coronary Artery Anomaly—the second leading cause of Sudden Cardiac Arrest usually discovered during autopsy.
Screenings Save Lives: Spencer’s Story
Spencer’s firefighter/paramedic dad, Scott, was shocked when our screening detected Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in his son’s heart. Playing sports since he was four, Spencer had no symptoms and his heart showed no abnormalities when Scott hooked him up to a simple 6-lead EKG.
