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Wes foundation all about prevention
Group wants to inform, implement better AED plan
Updated: Monday, 16 May 2011, 7:34 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 16 May 2011, 4:43 PM EDT
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Just more than two months after his unexpected death, friends of Fennville basketball standout Wes Leonard have formed a foundation to try and save other lives.
The Wes Leonard Heart Team started the Wes Leonard Heart Foundation.
Leonard, who was 16 when he died, passed away at Holland Hospital about two hours after making the game-winning layup against Bridgman, lifting his team to a perfect 20-0 regular season.
He died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart March 3, doctors said later.
The foundation's mission is to honor children who die of sudden cardiac arrest, and also to prevent additional deaths, according to the group's website.
It wants to make sure every facility that runs youth sporting events has AEDs on hand, along with people trained to use them.
The foundation wants to lobby for legislation to make the move mandatory for all private and public schools, and have all school staff members -- including coaching and coaching assistants -- be CPR and first-aid certified.
Schools need an emergency action plan, the group says, in order to treat students or anyone else on school grounds during events. It also wants to hold drills, to ensure the plan could be executed successfully.
The foundation wants to require student-athletes to have a thorough annual physical exam, completed by a doctor.
The Wes Leonard Heart Foundation looks to raise money to help fund research of a process or technology to be able to screen for risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
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