The Peyton Walker Foundation, one of the state’s prominent heart screening advocates and leaders in providing CPR and AED training, will host its 12th FREE YOUTH HEART SCREENING CLINIC for students ages 12-19 on April 6th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Red Land High School, in honor of Jermaine Marshall. (Media welcome to attend from 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.)
Jermaine was 28-years-old and suddenly died in January from an undetected heart condition. He was a Red Land Graduate, Penn State and Arizona State basketball player, and professional basketball player in Europe for Hermine Nantes Baske.
Foundation Executive Director and Peyton’s Mom, Julie Walker, along with Miss Pennsylvania Kayla Repasky, Jermaine Marshall’s family, UPMC Pinnacle and others to hold largest-ever FREE heart screening for area youth at Red Land High School, West Shore School District.
“Our goal is to detect hidden heart issues in other kids to prevent further tragedies from occurring and equip our students with highly-effective lifesaving tools to act quickly if something should occur such as sudden cardiac arrest, where every second counts,” says Julie Walker, Executive Director, Peyton Walker Foundation. “Demand is at an all-time high in the area because parents are extremely concerned after learning about the recent tragic deaths in our Region over the past few weeks. We are committed to providing support to schools, and education and awareness to enhance community health,” she added.
WHO: The Peyton Walker Foundation, Miss Pennsylvania Kayla Repasky, UPMC Pinnacle, Jermaine Marshall’s Family, and area youth and families.
WHAT: Peyton Walker Foundation’s FREE Heart Screening to Honor Jermaine Marshall.
WHEN: Saturday, April 6th, 9 a.m -3 p.m. (Media welcome to attend 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.)
WHERE: Red Land High School, 560 Lewisberry Road, Lewisberry, PA. Use Main Entrance.
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 Kings 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 heart issues that are NOT diagnosed. The PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION was established in honor of Peyton’s memory and her dreams of a medical profession to help and care for others. Their 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 approximately 2,000 students leading to potential life-saving medical attention in several cases. 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 provides educational scholarships and other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings.
ABOUT JERMAINE MARSHALL:
Jermaine was a native of Etters, PA and was a Red Land 2009 graduate. He scored 1400 career points in high school, and launched his collegiate career at Penn State University, where he averaged 15.3 points per game his junior season, and led his team with three pointers while there as well. He went on to play one season with Arizona State Sun Devils in 2013-14. He was the second leading scorer there, averaging 15.1 points per game. After graduation, he pursued a professional basketball career in Europe.
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.
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.