High School Students Create Video to Help Decrease SCA Deaths

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in student-athletes, but bystander intervention rates are still alarmingly low. The NFHS Foundation and a group of students from Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, are working together to change that.

The foundation recently funded a student-led initiative to create a CPR and AED training video. AEDs for Athletes, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to building a culture of preparedness through CPR, AED and emergency response education in youth sports, took on the challenge and produced a 15-minute video through a grant provided by the NFHS Foundation.

The video was designed by students, for students, and teaches viewers how to recognize the signs of SCA, call for help, perform hands-only CPR and use an AED effectively.

Caused by a structural or electrical problem associated with the heart, SCA occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating and pumping blood. While rare in children, SCA is the leading cause of death in the United States for all ages, with more than 400,000 deaths per year.

“High school students are often the first ones present during practices, games, or even in the hallways,” AEDs for Athletes Founder Zia Raukar said. “Understanding that we have the ability to act in an emergency shows how much of a difference we can make. If we simply wait for help to arrive, we overlook the lifesaving impact we as students can have when we are prepared.”

The content provides best general practices for CPR and using an AED based on current standards and recommendations. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical training, certification or guidance.

Raukar said that the response to the video has been overwhelmingly positive thus far, and many students tell AEDs for Athletes they feel safer knowing their peers are prepared to respond to emergencies.

“This video is just the beginning,” Raukar said. “Our goal is to build a culture of preparedness where every student feels capable of stepping up during a crisis. The more we normalize this education, the more lives we can save. We are grateful to the schools, teams and communities that have supported this effort, and we are excited to continue expanding its reach.” '

One of the primary focuses of the NFHS and NFHS Foundation is to minimize risk for student-athletes.

The NFHS, through the NFHS Foundation, has sent more than 1,000 AEDs to high schools and state high school associations since 2018 to help save lives. State associations and schools receiving AEDs also received a rescue kit, alarmed wall cabinet and a carrying case to allow the AED to be transported beyond the school setting.

The NFHS Learning Center offers courses on SCA, emergency action planning for afterschool programs, first aid health and safety, and on collapsed students, among other programs teaching lifesaving measures.

The NFHS is not currently providing grants for AEDs to high schools but has a partnership with the CPR Institute of Indiana that offers a package for an AED and accessories. For more information, contact William Callahan at indyfyre@yahoo.com.

The Team Behind the Video

Hosts
• Zia Raukar, junior, Mayo High School
• Sharon Lee, sophomore, Mayo High School
• Celine Herrmann, sophomore, Mayo High School
• Abbey Ackerman, junior, Mayo High School

Script team
• Dania Amra, junior, Mayo High School
• Zia Raukar, junior, Mayo High School
• Sharon Lee, sophomore, Mayo High School

CPR Demonstration
• Dylan Raukar, freshman, Mayo High School Student-Athletes
• Keely Ryder, senior, Mayo High School • Rafico Sierra, junior, Mayo High School
• Finn Slama, sophomore, Mayo High School
• Sam Thompson, junior, Mayo High School

Production
• Mike Kramer, Ambient House Productions
• Zia Raukar, junior, Mayo High School

Jordan Morey is manager of communications and media relations at the NFHS.