As junior board members of the just1mike Foundation, we wanted to inform residents about our Facebook fundraiser in October. Just1mike was created to honor Michael Brindley, a Hinsdale Central student, who suffered sudden cardiac death in 2016, playing basketball at just 16 years old.
The mission of just1mike is to raise awareness and survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest in teens and young adults through training, screening and education. Many are unaware sudden cardiac arrest is the No. 1 killer of student athletes. It is also the leading cause of death on campuses and the second leading cause of death of young adults under 25. Sudden cardiac arrest affects 9,500 youths annually in the U.S.
Just1mike has supported Young Hearts for Life high school cardiac screenings where students receive a free EKG test at school. An EKG can help detect up to 70 percent of hidden heart conditions associated with sudden cardiac death. Over 7,600 students have been given the gift of free EKG testing at local schools, including Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South, with the support of just1mike.
With COVID-19, the need for screenings and awareness is more important than ever.
October is Sudden Cardiac Awareness month and Michael’s birthday month. Michael would have turned 21 on Oct. 7. Please consider a gift of $21, or whatever you can, to support just1mike’s mission.
Visit the following link for the Facebook fundraiser running in October: https://www.facebook.com/just1mikeb.
Thank you. — Luke Marcic, Jackson Mangon and Connor Mangone, Hinsdale
