Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation worked with Spotlight on America on this report, which aired on multiple TV stations nationwide. SCAF Board members JoAnne Taylor Babbitt and Henry Jampel, MD, were interviewed.
WASHINGTON (TND) — A simple device that could save lives is missing from many of the places that need it the most: schools. When a sudden cardiac arrest happens, automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, can prevent tragedy, especially at schools, where young athletes are at risk. But a Spotlight on America investigation revealed a patchwork of laws across the nation that show AEDs aren't universally required, creating gaps in safety.
Among the photographs New Jersey mother JoAnne Babbitt treasures is a framed picture of her son, John. It's an ordinary photo, showing a typical teenage boy passing time, looking at his phone. But it means the world to Babbitt because it's the last photo she has of her boy whose life was cut short.
“What would he look like today? What would he be doing?” she wonders.
John Taylor Babbitt, a 16-year old three-sport athlete and picture of good health, collapsed suddenly during a game of pickup basketball in 2006. He died from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), something his mother says she'd never even heard of.
“In a split second, your life changes forever,” JoAnne Babbitt told Spotlight on America. “It just doesn't make sense when you lose a child.”
See the Spotlight on America report here.
See local coverage in Montana here.
See more on AED Laws here.