(LEX 18) — When 16-year-old Matthew Mangine Jr. collapsed during soccer practice in 2020 in Northern Kentucky, help was tantalizingly close.
"There were five AEDs on campus, yet no one retrieved an AED to apply to Matthew due to a lack of proper training and because the coach was never given an emergency action plan, nor was told where the nearest AED was, which was 250 feet away," said his father, Matthew Mangine Sr.
Mangine, Sr. and the rest of his family started a foundation to prevent that tragedy from happening to other families. Today, they joined Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in Washington, D.C. to introduce legislation that would provide money to put more AEDs in schools. Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills football player who was saved after collapsing during a game in Cincinnati, joined them.
"For schools that have AEDs, the survival rate for the children from sudden cardiac arrest is seven times higher. The "Access to AEDs" act will help ensure that schools are just as prepared and trained to respond in a time of crisis as those on the sideline of an NFL game," Hamlin said.
There were AEDs nearby when Mangine Jr. collapsed. A Scripps News investigation found that in 40% of cardiac arrest cases in schools over the last three years, AEDs went unused before first responders arrived. That's why his father says they want to see just as much emphasis on preparedness.
"We're not just trying to provide AEDs to schools. Our goal is education. Education is the key. What we saw on Monday Night Football was muscle memory. We saw everybody jump into action. We saw them do what they needed to do to save a life. That's what we need to teach our coaches and that's what we need to teach our young people," said Mangine Sr.
The "Access to AEDs Act" has support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he hopes to move the proposed legislation forward this year.
