The Peyton Walker Foundation, one of the state’s prominent heart screening advocates and leaders in providing CPR and AED training, is announcing the first-ever “Pennsylvania Sudden Cardiac Arrest In Youth Symposium” on April 4, 2020, in Hershey, Pa. The groundbreaking SCA In Youth Symposium features esteemed faculty from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Duke University, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU, Penn State Children’s Hospital, UPMC Children’s Hospital and UPMC Pinnacle. It is designed to increase the knowledge, skills, strategies and performance of healthcare providers and others who are responsible for the health and well-being of students.
“This symposium will educate healthcare providers and others who are responsible for the care and treatment of our students. Our incredible faculty includes thought leaders and internationally recognized medical professionals who are committed to our mission of increasing awareness and survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in our youth. Sadly, I’ve met too many parents who have lost their children to SCA due to a detectable and treatable heart condition. We must do better for our kids, and this Symposium will be an important step forward for children and families,” emphasized Julie Walker, executive director of The Peyton Walker Foundation.
“As a pediatric cardiologist, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of conditions associated with Sudden Cardiac Arrest in youth and young adults. Far too often, these conditions go undetected. This groundbreaking symposium will discuss strategies that can lead to the identification of these life-threatening cardiac conditions, and will explore the latest diagnostic and treatment options to help prevent sudden cardiac death in youth,” according to Victoria L. Vetter, M.D., M.P.H., Chair, Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Youth Symposium and Medical Director, Youth Heart Watch at the Cardiac Center of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, an affiliate of Project ADAM®.
The Symposium will address the prevalence of this issue; the detection and prevention of heart issues that can lead to SCA; screening protocols; and implementation of screenings into medical practices. Attendees are eligible for continuing education credits. Potential attendees include: pediatricians, family medicine physicians, primary care sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, cardiologists/pediatric cardiologists, physician assistants, nurses/nurse practitioners, coaches and beyond. Sponsors to date include:Avive Solutions, Inc., Cardiac Insight, ZOLL Medical Corporation. Registration is $199 per person before February 29 or $249 per person after March 1. For more information or to register, go to PeytonWalker.org.
“Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurs in both active and sedentary children and this potentially life-saving course will provide the latest information on the causes of SCA; methods for potential prevention of SCA and sudden cardiac death; and current efforts at the local and national levels to safeguard our youth from succumbing to SCA,” according to Salim Idriss, M.D., Ph.D., and executive co-director of the Duke University Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center.
Throughout the month of February – Teaming up with Cornerstone Coffeehouse in Camp Hill, Pa. to offer “Peyton’s Promise,” a specialty drink with $1 from each purchase going to support PWF’s life-saving events and work.
Feb. 12 / 11:30 a.m.
PSFCA Big 33 Media Conference, Dauphin County Adm. Bldg., 4th Floor, Harrisburg
Feb. 13-15 / All Day
PSFCA Coaches Clinic, Penn Stater Hotel, State College
Feb. 13 / 7:45 p.m.
PSFCA Presentation (prior to Penn State Coach James Franklin’s remarks), Penn Stater, State College
Feb. 15 / 9 a.m.
CPR Training, Girl Scouts, Chambers Hill United Methodist Church, 6300 Chambers Hill Road, Harrisburg, sponsored through UPMC Pinnacle Foundation
Feb. 22 / 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
FREE Student Heart Screening, Manheim Township High School, 115 Blue Streak Blvd., Lancaster, Registration Required, www.PeytonWalker.org
Feb. 24, 27, 28, 29 / Times Vary
PIAA D3 Basketball Championship Presentations, Awareness Activities, AED donations,Giant Center, Hershey
Feb. 25 / 7 p.m.
Hershey Bears AHL Hockey: Presents the PWF with “The GEICO Cares Award”, Giant Center, Hershey
Feb. 26 / 8 – 9:30 a.m.
“Drinks & Demos,” Cornerstone Coffeehouse featuring FREE AED & CPR Demos & “Peyton’s Promise”
March 14 / 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
FREE Student Heart Screening, Big Spring High School, 100 Mt. Rock Road, Newville to honor “JT” Kuhn, a Big Spring sophomore and boys’ basketball starter who lost his life from SCA.Registration Required, www.PeytonWalker.org
March 21 / 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
CPR Training, Chambers Hill United Methodist Church, 6300 Chambers Hill Road, OPEN TO PUBLIC, $10 registration, www.PeytonWalker.org
April 4 / 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
SCA Youth Symposium, Hotel Hershey, Hershey, Registration Required, www.PeytonWalker.org
April 25 / 10:00 a.m.
Big 33 PA Team Heart Screenings, Ramada State College Hotel, 1450 S. Atherton Street, State College, thanks to UPMC Sports Cardiology and Mid Penn Bank
May 25 / Pre-Game
FREE Big 33 Pre-Game Activities & Fan Experience – SCA Awareness and education activities. 63rd Big 33 Football Classic, Landis Field, at Central Dauphin Middle School, 4600 Locust Lane, Harrisburg
About Peyton Walker Foundation:
Peyton Walker was a 19-year-old Mechanicsburg native, 2012 Trinity High School graduate, and a sophomore in college who was pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, when she suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) that took her young and vibrant life on November 2, 2013. Afterwards, her family started researching Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and found that kids are dying every day from undiagnosed heart issues. The PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION was established in honor of Peyton’s memory and her dreams of working in the medical profession to help and care for others. The Foundation’s mission is to increase awareness and survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest through education, screening and training. Events, screenings and important updates can be found at PeytonWalker.org.
To date, they are proud to have screened over 3,000 students leading to potential life-saving medical attention for several students. The Foundation also provides AED and CPR training to every STUDENT who attends their heart screenings allowing students and their families a chance to perform hands-on CPR and gain a better understanding of what an AED is and how to use it. The Foundation has donated over 110 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to date, and also has provided over $75,000 in educational scholarships and hundreds of other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings.
Facts about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA):
- SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (over 600,000 annually).
- SCA is the #1 killer of student athletes in the U.S.
- Every hour, every day, a student dies from SCA.
- SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses.
- Most heart conditions that lead to SCA are detectable and treatable.
- Survival rates of SCA are less than 10%.
Some warning symptoms that can lead to SCA include: dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, and passing out. The first symptom of SCA is often sudden death. However, the use of AEDs and CPR increase the chances of surviving an SCA event