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 have taken Bailey’s story from the Maryland State House in Annapolis to the U.S.
Capitol in Washington to urge lawmakers to pass comprehensive legislation that will increase the chance of survival from cardiac arrest in schools. Earlier this year, the was approved unanimously by both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore.
Shortly afterward, I joined other families who have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest, along with survivors and other American Heart Association advocates to share our stories with our representatives in Washington. Together, we urged Congress to pass legislation that would help schools across the country be prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies. The bipartisan HEARTS Act and Access to AEDs Act would save lives by ensuring that students in elementary and secondary schools, along with school staff and sports volunteers, are trained in CPR and the use of AEDs.
These policies will complement state laws, like the Bailey Bullock Act, by providing schools with federal support to implement cardiac emergency response plans. Maryland is one of more than 10 states that have passed legislation this year requiring the creation of cardiac emergency response plans. This momentum is powered by stories like Bailey’s, along with stories of survival.
I ask our elected officials to listen to our collective plea for action. You have the power to spare another mother, and other parents from the anguish of losing a child like I did. My journey since May 12, 2021, has been painful.
But it has also been filled with moments that give me hope. July 1, 2024, was another major landmark in Bailey’s legacy. It was the day that the Bailey Bullock Act went into effect in Maryland, requiring all schools in the state to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place.
I hope it is the first of many milestones — including the passage of federal legislation — that will save lives from cardiac arrest..
