Parent Heart Watch and Its Members Offer Educational Posters and Heart Screenings Throughout October

Philadelphia, PA, October 15, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Each year thousands of children, teens and young adults suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).  During National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, Parent Heart Watch (PHW), is releasing newly updated YOU Make the Difference! Posters.  One poster features the warning signs and symptoms of a heart condition, and the other depicts the cardiac chain of survival--- what to do when a cardiac emergency occurs.  The 11 x 17 posters, which are available at no cost, are designed to be displayed in schools, athletic facilities, and other places where youth congregate.

According to PHW Executive Director Michele Snyder, sudden cardiac death can often be prevented.    “Through education, improved heart screenings, cardiac emergency response planning, availability of publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED skills, young lives can be saved,” said Snyder.  “We know that education is the most critical part of saving lives.

"Through education, improved heart screenings, cardiac emergency response planning, availability of publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED skills, young lives can be saved."

Michele Snyder, Executive Director

PHW members across the nation work in their local communities to protect youth from SCA.  Currently, 49 PHW member organizations in 27 states offer free or low cost heart screenings that include an electrocardiogram (ECG) and/or echocardiogram. A schedule of heart screenings in October is available on the PHW website.  Members also place automated external defibrillators (AEDs), facilitate CPR and AED training, and encourage schools to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP). 

To learn more about SCA in youth, visit www.parentheartwatch.org.  To order YOU Make the Difference! Posters, send an email to [email protected]. 

                                                                 ##

About Parent Heart Watch:  Parent Heart Watch is the national voice solely dedicated to protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest and preventable sudden cardiac death.  Parent Heart Watch leads and empowers others by sharing information, educating and advocating for change.