October is Sudden Cardiac Awareness month. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death of student athletes and death on campuses. One child dies every hour, every day from an undetected heart defect.
We serve as junior board members on the just1mike foundation. The foundation was created to honor Michael Brindley, a Hinsdale Central student who suffered sudden cardiac death in 2016, playing basketball at 16 years old.
The mission of the foundation is raise awareness and survival rates in teens/young adults through screenings, AED donations and education.
Just1mike supports Young Hearts for Life high school cardiac screenings, where students receive free EKG test at school, which can detect up to 70 percent of hidden heart conditions. On March 24, 2022, just1mike will support another free EKG screening at Hinsdale Central.
The foundation also created an AED donation program by making AEDs accessible in locations where needed most — parks/recreation facilities, youth sports organizations and schools. The foundation donated the first SaveStation Permanent Public Access Defibrillator to the Village of Hinsdale located at Burns Field Park.
This month, just1mike is holding its October fundraiser. Please consider an amount of $22 (to match the age Michael would have turned on Oct. 7) or other amount, to raise awareness, purchase AEDs and fund more screenings. Please visit the just1mike website to make a donation. Thank you! — Luke Marcic, Jackson, Connor and Spencer Mangone, and Isabella and Carl Styka, Hinsdale
