Press Releases

After Using CPR on a Friend who Suffered Cardiac Arrest, Kennedy is Working to Expand Access to AEDs and to CPR Training, Both of Which Can Save Lives 

Kennedy Notes that the World Saw the Power of CPR and AEDs when Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin Was Saved After Cardiac Arrest 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26) joined colleagues Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) yesterday to push for passage of the HEARTS Act of 2024, which includes H.R. 2370, the Access to AEDs Act. This forward-thinking legislation would provide grants to elementary and secondary schools to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote defibrillation access. The grants can be used to purchase AEDs, replace old or outdated CPR and AED equipment and educational materials, provide CPR and AED training to students, staff, and sports volunteers, assist athletic departments in developing heart screening programs for student athletes, and establish databases for reporting of AEDs in schools and to gather information on sudden cardiac arrest in the pediatric population for further research.
 

A full video recording of the press conference can be found here.

“Last year, the whole world saw the power of CPR training and an easily accessed AED,” said Congressman Timothy Kennedy. “More personally, I have experienced this myself. In 2022, along with two others, I performed CPR on a dear friend and community leader, Marnetta Malcolm, who had gone into cardiac arrest. If not for our CPR training and access to a defibrillator, there would have been a much different outcome. Everyone should have access to that training and to an AED in an emergency, and this legislation will help move us towards that future.” 

Kennedy, a trained occupational therapist, utilized his CPR training, along with two other individuals, in 2022 when a friend, Marnetta Malcolm, suffered cardiac arrest. The three of them took turns performing CPR and utilizing an AED, buying precious time for the Buffalo Fire Department and EMTs to arrive. Ms. Malcolm, a leader in the community, has thankfully made a full recovery – a testament to the importance of quickly performing CPR and utilizing an AED.  Kennedy also noted the example of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin. In 2023, Hamlin took a hit during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, immediately going into cardiac arrest. Medical professionals immediately began performing CPR and applied an AED, saving Hamlin’s life. Hamlin made a full recovery and later that year returned to the field. While in the New York State Senate, Kennedy introduced legislation that would require AEDs to be immediately available at school-sponsored events. The legislation was passed unanimously through the State Senate in 2023. 

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