The Muirlands Middle School community experienced a traumatic loss in February when a 13-year-old student suddenly suffered fatal cardiac arrest in front of the campus while walking home from school.<\/p>\n
Now, in the boy\u2019s honor, leaders of the La Jolla school are promoting heart-health awareness initiatives. As part of that, Muirlands will partner with the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation to host a free event on Saturday, May 23, that will feature stations for heart screening, speaking with a cardiologist (even if the screening is normal), learning to perform CPR and more. It will be open to the public, though the minimum age is 12.<\/p>\n
\u201cI might do it myself just to be sure,\u201d said Muirlands Principal Brendan Simon.<\/p>\n
Heart health is \u201cnot something we think about because these students are young and healthy, but it\u2019s better safe than sorry and be proactive,\u201d Simon said. He added that about 400 people already have signed up.<\/p>\n
Funding for the event was partially supported by the La Jolla High School Foundation.<\/p>\n
Simon said at the April 16 meeting of the La Jolla Cluster Association \u2014 a group of representatives of La Jolla\u2019s five public schools in the San Diego Unified School District \u2014 that some of Muirlands\u2019 efforts have been and will be done to promote heart-health awareness and CPR training on campus and for the broader community.<\/p>\n
Following the Feb. 18 tragedy<\/a>, \u201cwe had two UC San Diego cardiologists come and speak to our school community and we did CPR and AED [automated external defibrillator] training for all the kids in our school \u2026 and we are going to do that every single year,\u201d Simon said.<\/p>\n Staff also was trained in performing CPR and using an AED, a portable device used to treat sudden cardiac arrest by analyzing the heart\u2019s rhythm and delivering an electrical shock intended to restore normal function.<\/p>\n Other La Jolla Cluster news<\/p>\n America\u2019s Healthiest Schools: Bird Rock Elementary School is looking to be named one of America\u2019s Healthiest Schools for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n