RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) – A Senate bill called the Smart Heart Act would require public schools to develop cardiac emergency response plans and require the placement of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) in each public school. At a conference on Wednesday, people gathered in support of the bill. After members of the General Assembly began the event, the first speaker was introduced. Denny Kellington, the Vice President of Player Health and Performance for the Carolina Panthers, is credited with saving the life of Panthers player Damar Hamlin in 2023 by administering CPR and using an AED. He spoke about the importance of being prepared.
“Immediate CPR can double or triple survival rates, and access to an AED can increase survival 70%, but only with a clear plan in place,” he said. “The Smart Heart Act ensures schools are ready to act. The bill requires schools to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place, CPR trained staff, and access to an AED so everyone knows what to do in case of that cardiac emergency response.”
The next speaker was Sophia Kellstrom, Miss North Carolina 2025. She said that she learned how important it is to be prepared for cardiac emergencies both through her partnership with the American Heart Association and her experiences visiting schools across the state. She noted that most children spend the majority of their day at school, and parents count on schools to do what’s right for their children.
“Every day parents place immense trust in our schools when they say goodbye to their children at the beginning of the day. The SMART HEART Act is an opportunity to strengthen that trust by ensuring schools are equipped, trained, and prepared to respond when every second matters,” she said.
People in attendance at the event also heard from Hailey Yentz, a former East Carolina University athlete who had a cardiac emergency while in the weight room at school. Fortunately, her athletic trainers had an AED and knew how to use it. She has a rare genetic condition called ARVC, and she now has a pacemaker and a defibrillator.
“When I collapsed that day, a team of people around me were ready, and that’s why I’m here,” she said. “That’s the thing about cardiac emergencies – they don’t announce themselves, they don’t wait for a convenient moment, and they happen in gyms, in weight rooms, on fields, and in classrooms. And when they do, the only thing that matters is whether the people nearby are ready.”
According to the American Heart Association in North Carolina, six North Carolina students suffered cardiac arrests while at school during the 2023-2024 school year.