Okay, so the possibility of sudden cardiac arrest is, of course, profoundly frightening. Witnessing someone with a malfunctioning heart is in itself a traumatizing experience. All of this is made more alarming when an individual stricken by cardiac arrest is a child, someone with a full life ahead. That is what happened to Reagan Herman of Emporia, this Kansas reflector podcast is delving into her experience as it relates to what has transpired in the Kansas legislature to make it more likely people in her shoes receive life saving care, offering an assist on the political front will be Carrie Rinker, representative of the Kansas Heart Association. Welcome to you both.
Hi. Thank
you for taking time out of your busy days. So Reagan and Carrie, perhaps we could begin at the beginning on the basketball court in Topeka, when Reagan was suddenly struck down. Then we can follow the path of the legislation to a law from last year designed to improve emergency planning in schools, and then the legislature's action this year in terms of funding for school training and equipment to try to save lives in this area. So Reagan about what happened when you're you're playing ball, and just set the framework for that.
So, I mean, for me, it started out as a normal day. I mean, we played basketball prior at different schools in the area, and that day, it just happened to be at Washburn. The beginning of the game started normal. I warmed up fine. Did all the stuff pre game that were normal, and we wouldn't put it across anything unusual. But I don't know exactly the time, but halfway through the game, I was out of breath. It I felt like I couldn't catch my breath, and I felt like I was gonna I guess pass out is the best way to put it. And I went behind the bench, because my coach was also my dad, and he told me to go walk like walk it off. So I did. And I came back and sat on the bench. And I don't, just as soon as I sat down, I remember it, it all went black. So that's from that's what happened before. And then I remember waking up, being out of breath, breathing really heavy, and then seeing people around me. It took a second for my eyes to catch up, so I couldn't see at first, but then I came up and see people around me, and I heard voices and shouting and see people talking to me and trying to get people to ask questions. It was like, Reagan, can you hear me? And all those like questions from the people surrounded me. And then I saw my mom, which she says, I said, What did I say? I said, something like, you said, I love you, mom. I said, I love you. Nice.
Well, Reagan, your heart stopped, correct, yeah, for four minutes. That's amazing. And so did people report people you're in a gymnasium where maybe you had health people there, but certainly people who knew CPR. So people were doing CPR
Correct? Yep, there was a resource officer from a different school in the surrounded area that was had no reason to be there, but he was there, and he stepped up. And a lot of people, I know, there was an anesthesiologist, I'm pretty sure, or respiratory therapist, I think, and a nurse that were all from my team and people that were there watching. So I feel very blessed that I had everything or everybody there.
So they there's a device that you can see in public places, sometimes it's an automated external defibrillator. Did? They did they use one of those on you?
They did. They only they delivered one shock. But what was funny is coming back, they brought two so we got kind of a mix up, because we wanted to figure out exactly it was wrong and see what it recorded. And we had to look through two different ones. But if the shop wasn't delivered, I don't think I would have made it.
Well, we're certainly glad you did it. I mean, come on, incredible. Okay, so that that's what happened to you and and today, today, how do you feel? Yeah, and
I'm playing sports right now. I'm a starting goalie for my freshman or for my varsity team at Emporia.
So okay, awesome. That sounds great. Good, good. Okay, so that gives us some insight in what it's like for a teenager to have some kind of medical complication like this. I want to turn to Carrie and Reagan helped advocate for this. The Heart Association did as well, but there was a piece of legislation passed last year that really was like sending off an alarm bell into public schools to urge them so that they have a better emergency response plan. So Carrie tell us a little bit about what happened last year, and then we'll move on to this year.
So last year we did introduce legislation. It was SB. 19. Senate Bill 19 is what the end legislation the number ended up being that was signed into law. It was heard in the House Education Committee chaired Adam Thomas, representative, Adam Thomas, now Senator, was really our champion on this effort, and worked very diligently to bring all parties to the table, you know, and I, in addition to the fact that I did visit with all stakeholders prior to session and other you know, interested supportive groups and parents and affected folks who provided really compelling and worthwhile testimony. And yeah, Reagan's mom, Amanda, you know, was one of those folks. And you know, we, we did, end up passing that Bill nearly unanimous support in the House and strong support in the Senate, and that bill does require that every public school have a cardiac emergency response plan in place, and that includes adequate access to AEDs throughout the campus. We recommend that they be available within one to three minutes anywhere you know you are at in the school, and also available for extracurricular activities you know, anything that is school sponsored, there should be a plan and at least discussion about what to do if this occurs, and access to an AED that the bill also requires that designated school personnel be trained in CPR. We don't say who, because not all schools are the same, right. Not all schools have school nurses, not you know, it's there's differences and variances, which is why, you know, we just have some general guidance that was administered by Katie he with our assistance, that gives schools kind of the framework of the core elements for this legislation. Okay,
Reagan, did you? Did I see a picture of you with maybe a ceremonial copy of this bill from last year that was signed by the governor.
Yeah, copy right now, actually, okay, so
your mom testified on behalf of legislation, and you went to the bill signing. That had to be kind of interesting to be personally attached to something like that. You know, yeah,
I'm not really allowed to touch it. Well, I just get a look at it. So I think it's pretty, pretty cool and fancy, something that not you normal people, I guess, would have get to hold, I
guess Reagan, did you know CPR before this happened to you? No, yeah. And so a lot of your peers and maybe even teachers at school would be like, you correct? You think,
yeah. I mean, after my, one of my best friends,
you know, like, maybe they don't all have training, that's what I meant, yeah, yeah,
one of my best friends got CPR certified almost immediately after just so being safe,
so you're having an impact on the students that you go to class with. You know
Tim, she has had great Reagan, and her story has had an impact on the entire city of Emporia, I would say certainly the school district in Emporia, they you know, Reagan's mom and good partners of ours project Adam, who work directly with schools on these plans, went to work in Emporia, and it is designated heart safe school, and it's largely due to Reagan and her experience and her family's devotion to this issue.
You know, I see these defibrillators in the Kansas Capitol building. They're kind of hanging on the wall in your staircases. And so you think about that, because all the geriatric legislators that we have, you know, you know, they're old geezers like me and but in schools little different. You know, it's kids. It's not stuff not supposed to happen to kids. You think, I think that's a general assumption. Okay, Carrie, so let's move to the 2025, legislative session, and the latest developments, and I believe in the Senate, Senate Bill 125, this mega budget bill, there are provisions in there to help schools purchase defibrillators and do some of the training. Can you kind of give us explanation of what the current pending legislation is, sure
so we started the session really focused on getting funding for CPR training for for schools, because you. Know, despite having passed the law that requires it for designated schools personnel, we also know that there is it is part CPR class training is a part of the current USD to or, sorry, this current state school boards, health curriculum standards. So, you know, they do their best to ensure that at some point, K through 12, that all students are trained in CPR. But you know, COVID put a pause on some of that. You know, since then, I think there have been challenges, you know, in some communities, you know, getting this in place, especially rural communities, might have fewer training resources to come in and train students and teachers and such. So, you know, we know that if you get training kits within a school district, it comes with multiple mannequins instead of somebody coming with one mannequin, you know. And so it can be the training can be done more efficiently with supplies like this, training supplies like this. And we also know that in schools that have this is part of their equipment, they incorporate it throughout the year in a multitude of ways. We've heard of people in music classes teaching beats per minute along with music lessons. You know, currently revisiting this so that it truly does become you know, no hesitation. You know, just part of your your your skills and and to eliminate the fear of jumping in when something occurs, because we know right now, you know, the survival rates for cardiac arrest is only one in 10. Only one in 10 people survive, and yet CPR can double or even triple A person's chance of survival, and yet fewer than 50% of people say they are confident to step in and to perform this function. So we just, we want to improve that. We want to create a nation of life savers.
Now that's interesting. The you would think that that rural schools maybe would be more interested in having some of this equipment, because there's probably greater debt. Probably greater distances to a clinic or a hospital, so it becomes even more important, but a bit of an irony, maybe some resources for the training, and maybe don't have the resources to buy the equipment, and that's why this bill pinned on the governor's desk would provide a million and a half dollars this year for the purchase of some of these kits with mannequins. Carrie, can you kind of explain what the expenditure here is and what it would be used for
sure? Again, the you know, we were starting out with just a much lower level ask for the kits this year, knowing that there was going to be a lot of wrangling over funds in the legislature is a very difficult climate to seek funds. However, you know, we were successful last year in having AEDs added to an existing grant program, you know, as an allowable expenditure. However, you know, those funds were eliminated from the schools for that purpose. You know, for the entire grant funds were removed from the school this year. So the funds that we thought were going to fund the AEDs were removed. So we then increased our ask to 1.5 million to ensure that schools can afford not just the kids, but the AEDs themselves. You know, as we required by the law.
And these AEDs, again, these are, this is like I'm reading here, but a portable medical device that analyzes a person's heart rhythm and delivers an electric shock if necessary to restore a normal heartbeat. In case, in case is of sudden cardiac arrest. So these are, like, backpack units. You can just grab it and and run to the place where you need to be. Carrie, I don't know if you're a medical expert, yeah.
And they also, they also have portable devices. And so, you know, if there are sport, like, you know, practices and different events that are not on site, that those portable devices can be taken and, you know, we I do think many schools would, you know, want one of those also as part of their equipment to allow, you know, for off campus coverage as well. So
Reagan, if you were going to have an ask of the governor this, this portion of a bill that would provide this kind of funding, I'm assuming you'll say yes. But would you want the governor to sign this, this $1.5 million in funding to help schools afford this equipment?
Oh, yeah. I mean. And I think this is just icing on the cake to finish what we started. This is, like, the next step. And sure, I was like, Yeah, we're final. This is the and this is what we're wanting, and this is, I'd say, honestly, it is a dream coming true. I mean, hopefully, yeah,
no. I think to think that, you know, the government spends bajillions of dollars, billions, and to think that 1.5 could save a kid's life, you know, I can't imagine anybody saying no to that. Anybody that wants to have a lengthy political career anyway, all right. Well, this is interesting. Carrie, you think I know this is a big budget bill, but have you heard any kind of hints that that this clause, this provision was, was controversial?
You know, I never take anything for granted. Tim, you know, last year our initial funding that was included in that bill was line item vetoed. We found out the day before the bill signing, because of a technicality, right of something, it was combined. Yeah, so I see So again, I think, you know, it rains to be seen what the action will be. As far as the governor goes, I have not heard definitively what her decision will be on this, and I think it's really important for folks to reach out to her and advocate in favor of it. If folks want to stay abreast of this and to reach out to Governor Kelly, you can text k, s2, 46839, and that is how you will receive information to stay engaged on this campaign, because, as I said, I don't think it we can take anything for granted, and we need everyone to contact Governor Kelly at this time. I
imagine Reagan already knows this, but the American Heart Association says that AEDs are impactful, and then when cardiac arrest happens in a school that has an AED on site, approximately 70% of the children survive and and so that, as Carrie said, That'd be seven times the survival rate for children normally, who who are aren't around these devices. So clearly, clearly, they're impactful, certainly for youth in America, in Kansas. So I want to thank both of you for taking the time to do this. Reagan, I'm I'm happy you're feeling good and playing sports again. I did in school, and I would have, I would have felt like I was missing a lot if I, if I couldn't participate. And Carrie, I appreciate you help, help updating this. I want to thank you both for being on our podcast. And unless you have some concluding thoughts, I don't think so. Said it all. All right. Thank you both. My name's Tim Carpenter, and I want to thank everybody for listening. Thank
