Three advocates from Oklahoma traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to urge Congress to allocate funding for the HEARTS Act, crucial legislation aimed at enhancing cardiac emergency preparedness in schools. The HEARTS Act is designed to provide K-12 institutions with essential resources, including CPR training, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and comprehensive emergency response plans.
The advocates—Deshawn Caldwell from Tulsa, Cheri Shepard from Oklahoma City, and Magnus Miller from Norman—joined fellow members of the American Heart Association as part of the organization’s Heart Powered grassroots advocacy network. Their mission was clear: to transform the HEARTS Act into action during the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process.
The HEARTS Act, which was unanimously passed in 2024, established a grant program at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative aims to equip K-12 schools with the necessary training for staff and students in CPR, as well as funding for the acquisition and maintenance of AEDs. It also supports research into cardiomyopathy and other conditions leading to cardiac arrest in youth.
For Caldwell, the cause is personal. As a former high school athlete and recent graduate of Oklahoma State University, he experienced sudden cardiac arrest but survived due to immediate CPR intervention. His story underscores the importance of preparedness in schools. “I’m alive today because someone knew what to do,” Caldwell stated. “The HEARTS Act ensures that more schools have the tools and training to save lives. Every student deserves that chance.”
Shepard’s advocacy is driven by her own tragic loss. After the sudden death of her husband, former NFL player Derrick Shepard, from cardiac arrest in 1999, she has been committed to promoting CPR training and AED accessibility in educational institutions. She currently serves on the board of directors for the American Heart Association in Oklahoma City. “I lost my husband far too soon,” Shepard said. “I’ve made it my mission to help prevent other families from experiencing the same heartbreak.”
Miller, now a freshman at the University of Oklahoma, became a hero during a high school game when he used his CPR training to save the life of an opposing player. His actions earned him the American Heart Association’s HeartSaver Hero Award, further motivating him to advocate for stronger emergency response protocols in schools. “I didn’t expect to use my CPR training on the court that night,” Miller recalled. “But I’m grateful I had it. Every student and staff member should be prepared to act in a cardiac emergency. The HEARTS Act can make that a reality.”
In the United States, more than 356,000 individuals experience cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year, including over 23,000 children. The survival rate decreases by 10% with every minute that passes without CPR. Quick intervention can double or even triple the chances of survival. As Chris Turner, regional grassroots lead for the American Heart Association, pointed out, “Survival from cardiac arrest shouldn’t depend on luck or location. When people are trained and AEDs are within reach, a life that could have been lost becomes a life saved.”
The American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to double cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030. Advocates in Oklahoma are working diligently to ensure that every school is equipped with the necessary tools and training for emergency responses. “By funding the HEARTS Act, Congress can help build a Nation of Lifesavers, one student, one school, one community at a time,” Turner emphasized. “This investment will ensure more people are ready to act in every classroom, school gym, and hallway across the country.”
Those interested in joining the advocacy efforts can text AED to 46839 to urge Congress to support the HEARTS Act.
