Woodrow Wilson HS educates fall athletes and parents on cardiac emergency plans

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – Sports can be a great way to keep your heart healthy. But what happens when the heart fails during normal physical activity?

Woodrow Wilson High School is educating fall sports athletes and their parents on how to handle a cardiac emergency.

This is a result of the West Virginia Legislature mandating Cardiac Emergency Plan Training for all student athletes and parents throughout the state.

Captain Chris Graham, of the City of Beckley Fire Department Station 3, explained why this training is vital for athletes in the event of a cardiac emergency.

“You’re beating their heart for them effectively. You’re giving them the chance to live. Just what’s keeping us alive right now is our heart beating. If you can do that for someone until help arrives, you give that person a chance to survive,” said Capt. Graham.

This training is important for athletes, after the world watched soccer star Christian Eriksen suffer cardiac arrest during a soccer match and basketball player Bronny James experience a similar episode during a workout.

Athletes and their parents will be going through an abbreviated training of how to perform CPR.

Capt. Graham also told 59News about another method of life saving they will be talking about at these sessions.

“The schools have an AED which can analyze the heart rhythm, detect a shockable rhythm that hopefully should give the heart the shock it needs to go back into a regular rhythm,” said Graham.

The first session took place on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 6 p.m.

The next session will be held on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 6 p.m.

Athletes must attend at least one of the sessions to begin practicing.

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