News/ Events
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In Loving Memory of Kimberly Anne Gillary ~ August 21, 1984 - April 3, 2000
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100% of all donations are used
to purchase AEDs and training
for Michigan Schools.
Recent News Articles
Michigan Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month - April 2011
Senator John Pappageorge and Representative Tim Bledsoe introduced resolutions that designated April 2011 as Michigan Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month.
"We can make a difference in the lives of young people and their families and help prevent some tragedies from occurring," said Pappageorge, R-Troy. "Prescreening and appropriate medical intervention save lives. We need to educate people."
Since December 1999, the state has lost at least 47 students to sudden cardiac arrest and related causes.
"The work of the Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation makes saving lives possible by donating automated external defibrillators to schools that otherwise couldn't afford them," said Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe. "Training and education can help save lives in times of medical crisis."
The issue of cardiac awareness has received increased attention in Michigan and elsewhere, since Fennville High star basketball player Wes Leonard collapsed and died shortly after scoring his team's winning basket on March 3rd.
In April of 2000 another young Michigan resident, 15-year-old Kimberly Gillary, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in a high school water polo game and died two days later after being taken off life support. The next day, Kimberly's parents, Randy and Susan, started a foundation in their daughter's memory.
"I cannot thank the Gillarys enough for what they have done for young people in Michigan," Pappageorge said. "Through their tireless efforts lives have already been saved and more will be saved in the future."
The foundation donates automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to Michigan high schools and advocates cardiac screening and testing of all Michigan high school student athletes. As of March 1, 2011, the foundation has raised more than $1.12 million and has donated more than 550 AEDs to Michigan high schools.
The resolutions note that AEDs donated by the Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation have saved at least two lives: a 17-year-old Davison High School student and a 67-year-old spectator at a Hamilton High School baseball game.
"The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation and the Gillary family would like to express their deep thanks and appreciation to Sen. John Pappageorge and Rep. Tim Bledsoe for introducing the resolutions to designated April as Michigan Student Athlete Cardiac Awareness Month," said Randy Gillary. "This is a major step in raising awareness of the dangers of hidden cardiac problems with our high school student athletes."
(L-R) Randy Gillary, Sue Gillary, Senator Pappageorge, Emily (Gillary) Kucinich and Jennifer (Gillary) Gregory
New Pre-Participation Sports Screening Forms
The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation is pleased to announce that on Friday, March 25, 2011 the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Council approved the Michigan Department of Community Health's recommended pre-participation sports screening form to be produced, printed and disseminated in a short form (1 page, 2 sided). This form will be distributed to MHSAA member schools upon their request.
The MHSAA Council had previously approved the longer version of the new form (2 pages, 2 sided) in December 2010 and has it available on their website to download.
The Kimberly Anne Gillary Foundation worked with the Michigan High School Athletic Association, the Michigan Department of Community Health, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other professional and medical organizations to revise and update the MHSAA pre-participation sports screening forms for our student athletes. The old form screened for outdated medical conditions such as diphtheria, scarlet fever, and poliomyelitis and suggested that the physical include a urine analysis. Additionally and more importantly, the general consensus was that the medical history was insufficient to effectively screen for cardiac related problems. The new forms now include a section focused entirely on heart health. Any red flags in this section could prompt the physician to order further testing. A serious heart condition could be detected that would otherwise go undiagnosed.
We are encouraging all schools to perform a CPR/AED Drill during this week. A Drill will help to test the school's communication and staff readiness and allow for improvement before an actual emergency arises.
A CPR/AED Drill is a practice drill using an AED Drill Kit to help staff members (and hopefully students) to be better prepared to quickly and appropriately respond to a sudden cardiac arrest on school property.
An AED Drill Kit consists of:
- AED Training Unit
- Manikin
- Stopwatch
- AED Pamphlet with general instructions (can be downloaded from www.aeddrill.com)
Steps in a typical CPR/AED Drill:
- Advise the main office of impending drill
- Locate the "victim" (manikin) and look for signs of sudden cardiac arrest
- Simulate a call to 911 and alert staff members
- Have someone retrieve the AED training unit
- Perform CPR
- Use the AED training unit to restart the heart
- Record results and discuss where improvements can be made
For more information on AED Drills, please visit www.aeddrill.com.
Michigan Schools CPR/AED Drill Week:
February 6th -10th, 2012
Practice makes perfect!
