The Lincoln Children’s Museum (LCM) has received a special designation, through Project ADAM, as a Heart Safe Organization. LCM is the first non-school organization to receive this designation in Nebraska.
A Heart Safe designation through Project ADAM, is a program that ensures schools and organizations have automated defibrillator (AED) equipment, response training and advanced emergency preparedness procedures in place, in the event of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) on campus.
Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) was named for Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Wisconsin teenager who suffered a fatal sudden cardiac arrest in 1999 while playing basketball at school. Access to an AED and immediate care could have saved Adam’s life.
KLIN News spoke with Director of Operations and Engagement at the Lincoln Children’s Museum, Mandy Haase-Thomas.
“This designation is special to us cause it gives our staff an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills, as it related to first aid CPR and administering an AED if the situation were to arise” she continued, ” Its an exciting opportunity for us to be the first non-school organization designated. But we hope that it also triggers other organizations that work with youth to look into this and educate their staff even further on CPR and AED. This could be an opportunity to save a life.”
LCM worked in collaboration with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center to meet the requirements for the designation.
“They brought their expertise, their wisdom, of working with these types of emergency responses… They helped us not only learn the ins and outs. This is more than just administering CPR. But really learning about the AED, learning about what is happening within the body during an event, and then what happens after… They were there to support us, to give us the knowledge, and they also helped us run the drill. Having them there helped build our confidence. If this were to ever happen? We have the knowledge and the skills.”
According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and approximately 10 percent survive. Since 1999, more than 4,000 schools across the country have achieved a Heart Safe designation.
Learn more about Children’s Project ADAM program at ChildrensOmaha.org/ProjectADAM and the national Project ADAM program at ProjectADAM.com.