Latest news with #HollidaysburgAreaSeniorHighSchool
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Blair Go Red for Women event raised $118K, honors high school student
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A celebration of strength, survival and heart health advocacy took center stage at this year's Blair Go Red for Women event, where more than $118,000 was raised to support the American Heart Association's mission in Blair County. Among those honored was the Davis family, who shared their emotional story with attendees and are now working to enact change at the state level. Last September, Spencer Davis, then a sophomore at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a football practice. He survived thanks to the swift action of coaches and an athletic trainer who performed CPR and used an AED. His mother, Jennifer Davis, told the audience that while everything went right in her son's case, that's not always the outcome. That's why the family is now advocating for increased access to AEDs and CPR training in Pennsylvania schools. Spencer, now using his experience to raise awareness, said he feels called to make a difference. 'I feel like I have to keep advocating. This is the reason I was given a second chance,' Spencer said. 'What I have to do, is make sure more lives are saved, and more kids are safe.' The Blair Go Red for Women event also recognized Blair County's Women of Impact winner, Amy Van Kleunen, who emphasized the importance of research and education tailored to women's heart health. 'It's really neat to be part of something so big nationally where women are coming together to celebrate, the emphasis on women's heart health and how we're different and how it's important to do research,' Amy Van Kleunen said. The annual dinner and fashion show brings together survivors, families and supporters to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death among women and men. The funds raised at the event will support community education programs, medical research, and advocacy efforts focused on preventing and treating heart disease in women across the region. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Student-athlete who survived cardiac arrest, local lawmaker push to get AEDs at all athletic fields
High-profile cardiac arrests, like Damar Hamlin's, have really brought the importance of life-saving skills to the spotlight. The average person has the capability of saving a life with CPR and an AED, as long as one is near. There's a renewed push to make sure they're on every athletic field that kids in Pennsylvania play on. Spencer Davis is alive because there was an AED on his field in Hollidaysburg, about 2 hours east of Pittsburgh. He plays football for Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School. 'It was my best game,' recalled the sophomore. He rolled into the next practice a few days later last September and 'I took a hit over my chest, over my heart during a punt drill.' Spencer's life changed in an instant. That blow hit at the exact moment to throw his heart out of rhythm and into cardiac arrest. 'When I got there, I went right to his head and was like 'Spence, I'm here, hang on,'' Jennifer Davis, Spencer's mom, said. She says his coaches started CPR but it was the AED that she and her son agree saved his life. The athletic trainer in the Hollidaysburg Area School District had a portable AED on her cart and got there within the three-minute window recommended to save Spencer. But Spencer is in the minority. The American Heart Association says AEDs are used only 10% of the time when a cardiac arrest happens outside a hospital. Immediate CPR and an AED can double or triple the survival rate. Pennsylvania doesn't have any requirements for AEDs to be present on sports fields or games. But state Representative Tim Brennan is trying to change that. He's introduced a bill, for the second session in a row, to put AEDs at all interscholastic sporting events. 'To save a human life is worth the cost of preparation and this is a bill that will save lives,' said Rep. Brennan, (D) Bucks County. The average cost of an AED is $1,000-$3,000. But Representative Brennan says the state may be able to get school districts a better rate, the Hearts Act can give schools money for AEDs, and there are groups that raise funds to help cover the cost of them. Representative Brennan's AED bill is in the education committee of the PA House. After he was well enough to leave UPMC Children's Hospital, Spencer was diagnosed with commotio cordis, the same rare heart event that Damar Hamlin had. 'He was doing it,' said Spencer. 'He was living life and doing everything he wanted to.' The two heart patients met at Damar's annual toy drive in December. Inspired by Hamlin, Spencer said 'I wanted to make a change. I wanted to help others.' Spencer and his family have now made it their mission to educate people about the importance of CPR and especially AEDs. His newly formed foundation in his name aims to raise money to help groups pay for AEDs. Here's a link to it: 'We're very fortunate that she (the athletic trainer) had that AED on her cart. Had she had to go unlock the building, Spencer's outcome could have been a lot different,' said mom, Jennifer. 'Spencer was saved by non-medical professionals,' said dad, David Davis. 'Go out and get trained. Go out and learn how to use an AED.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
