Grant Schoen, a seemingly healthy 10-year-old, was a gifted athlete, loving brother, and popular classmate. He told his parents he wasn’t feeling well and stayed home from school for a day. Imagine the shock and pain when they discovered Grant had passed away in his sleep from an unknown condition that stopped his heart.
Grant died from sudden cardiac arrest on October 17, 2013, but from darkness comes light. Grant’s parents wanted to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family. HeartSafe Wisconsin has four goals: raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, train people to use CPR, expand the placement of Automated External Defibrillators (AED), and increase youth screening for potential heart problems. Since 2014, with the generous support of local businesses and community leaders, HeartSafe Wisconsin has provided dozens of AEDs to local schools, parks, pools, public buildings, and fire/EMS departments. Recent placements include Cedarburg Parks and Recreation (3 units), Ozaukee Family Services, The Rivoli Theatre, and Cedarburg History Museum. Over the last decade, HeartSafe Wisconsin has facilitated CPR training for thousands of students and adults and heart screening for hundreds of children.
HeartSafe Wisconsin has also established an endowment through the Cedarburg Community Scholarship Fund. A $500 scholarship will be awarded annually to a CHS student who will continue in healthcare/public safety education.
Mel’s Charities, Inc. has recently incorporated HeartSafe Wisconsin into its community impact activities this year. HeartSafe Wisconsin aligns perfectly with our mission to impact lives in Ozaukee County. We will continually strive to raise awareness, look for opportunities to place AEDs where they are most needed, facilitate youth heart screening, and ensure CPR training is available to all who want to learn this lifesaving skill, all in the memory of Grant Schoen.
Port Washington Parks and Recreation
