We started our non-profit organization because we identified a severe need for an increase in bystander CPR rates world-wide. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the world and the tragic story of losing a loved one due to a heart attack or stroke is far too common these days. Additionally, global rates of heart disease and heart attacks are climbing all around the world and we are in the process to establishing Heroes for Hearts chapters all around the world to better equip communities, students, and families, to handle this.
We established our headquarters in Washington D.C. because that was where we were located as students and because that D.C. has one of the lowest rates of bystander CPR interventions in the nation, in addition to one of the lowest rates of heart attack and stroke survival.
According to the American Heart Association, 359,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in USA, and 88% of cardiac arrests happen at home
17 million people die of cardiovascular disease each year, most to heart attacks & strokes
12,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated for choking on food each year
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world
Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, According to the American Heart Association, the survival rate for cardiac arrest patients that receive CPR only when emergency medical services arrives is only 5.2 percent, but this rises to 31.4 percent for those patients who receive bystander CPR within the first three minutes of collapse. Having CPR performed on a person in need within the first three minutes of collapse is absolutely vital to give that individual the best chance of survival. We strive to make CPR administered within the first three minutes of collapse the norm in communities all around the world.