Losing a child changes everything. It also made me see how quickly cardiac arrest can take a life — and how unprepared we too often are in those first critical moments.

My son Kyri passed away from sudden cardiac arrest while playing a basketball scrimmage. He was joyful, vibrant and full of life. One of 10 children, he stood out from a young age. He would always tell me, “It’ll be okay, don’t worry,” in his warm, calming voice.

The day he collapsed, there was confusion. CPR was not started right away, and an automated external defibrillator, or AED, was not immediately accessible. By the time help arrived, it was too late.

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere — including children. More than 23,000 kids experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. When every second matters, hesitation and uncertainty can cost a life.

As a prevention educator at the YWCA in Williamsport, I’ve traveled across Pennsylvania talking about how trauma affects our communities. Nothing has shaped that work more than losing my Kyri.

That’s why I joined other families who have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest and American Heart Association advocates in Washington this April to urge support for the HEARTS Act. Passed in 2024, this law helps schools access AEDs, train staff in CPR and create clear cardiac emergency response plans.

Now it must be funded through the FY27 Labor-HHS appropriations process so schools have the tools they need.

Because no family should have to live with what mine does.

SHANTAY HALL

Williamsport

Submitted by email