We welcomed our sassy, goofy, energetic boy Bailey Bernard Bullock to the world on Jan. 14, 2005. May 12, 2021, was the day our beautiful, respectful, humble Bailey to cardiac arrest after a track event at the age of 16.
As one can imagine, these are big dates in our family. Days when we remember and honor the impact that Bailey made on his family, his friends and his community in his short time on this earth. But it’s not just two days a year when Bailey’s memory motivates me to turn my grief into action.
When someone experiences a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Unfortunately for Bailey, it took more than eight minutes before CPR was started. While an automated external defibrillator (AED) was ultimately used, it was too late.
Bailey is among the nine out of 10 people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year who do not survive, often because the people close by do not have the training, tools or resources to know what to do. Black or Hispanic adults who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting are even to receive lifesaving care from somebody nearby. Fortunately, cardiac emergency response plans can more than double survival rates from cardiac arrest by empowering people nearby to take action and dial 911, start CPR and use an AED.
Having a response plan in place could have meant the difference between life and death for Bailey, and it could be a lifesaver for other children across the country who also experience cardiac arrest. I.