Supporting healthy young hearts was the goal of the ninth annual 5K for Aidan J. held recently in Kerr Park by the Aidan's Heart Foundation. State Sen. Andy Dinniman, who has been a supporter of the organization since its inception, was on hand to recognize the group for its work and discuss legislation in Harrisburg.
The nonprofit organization was co-founded by Christy Silva in 2010 after she lost her young son, Aidan, to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Since then, the group has pursued a three-part approach to preventing SCA and saving lives. The approach consists of promoting preventive heart screenings, educating and training individuals on CPR and AED therapies, and proliferating the availability and use of AEDs in schools and youth athletic organizations in southeastern Pennsylvania.
As part of that effort, earlier this year the foundation partnered with the Marsh Creek Sixth Grade Center for the fifth year to train more than 1,000 sixth-grade students in lifesaving CPR and AED skills. That brings the total number of students in Downingtown trained by the foundation in hands-only CPR and the use of AEDs to 5,000.
Dinniman first became involved with the foundation in 2014 through his work to pass Act 35. The legislation, also known as Aidan's Law, calls for the state to create a registry of AEDs in public and private schools, including the devices' age and condition. To assist schools without AEDs or with outdated AEDs, the state will biennially issue an RFP for AEDs, negotiate a bulk-rate price, and then provide the devices to schools at cost.
To further lessen the cost for school districts, the legislation lets school districts use Pennsylvania Accountability Grants and Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) funds to purchase AEDs. The bill also gives the General Assembly the discretion to annually set aside funds to further assist school districts in purchasing AEDs.
Additionally, the legislature recently passed Act 7 of 2019 to require all high school students to receive up-to-date education in CPR instruction.
At this year's 5K for Aidan J., Dinniman recognized Silva for being named a L'Oreal Paris Woman of Worth National Honoree in 2018, an award that came with a $35,000 grant for the Aidan's Heart Foundation. In addition, he recognized Kelly Hagelaur, a member of the board of directors of the Aidan's Heart Foundation, on recently receiving the Corporate Philanthropy Citizen Award.
Dinniman also honored the foundation's three Heroes for Young Hearts Award recipients. Recipients included Eloise and Noah Hagelaur, who honored their late father by hosting the first school-wide CPR training event at Delaware Valley Friends School. Lilly Viscariello was honored for holding a fundraiser for the Aidan's Heart Foundation in celebration of her eighth birthday. She raised more than $1,000.
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