CPR saved my son’s life

In 2024, I had to do something no parent ever wants to imagine: I performed CPR on my six-year-old son. He’d been hit in the chest by a baseball at just the wrong millisecond – and it stopped his heart.

Oscar is alive and healthy today because I knew what to do. I called 911 and immediately performed CPR. That quick action made all the difference. If your child had a cardiac emergency in school, wouldn’t you want them to have that same, lifesaving help?

Every year, about 23,000 children suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. Think of how much time our kids spend sitting in school or participating in after-school activities. The odds are high that an emergency like that could happen in school. Schools need to be ready to respond.

Florida legislators have an opportunity to save lives. Florida Senate Bill 430 and House Bill 337 would require an automated external defibrillator (AED) in all Florida public schools and ensure designated school staff are trained to act quickly in a cardiac emergency. I’m advocating with the American Heart Association and encouraging Palm Beach County legislators to support this legislation. Please, do the same.

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Written by Sarah Stuebe, a nurse, a mom, and a Palm Beach County resident.