Simons Fund

TO CREATE AND ADVANCE INNOVATIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND RESEARCH THAT PREVENT SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AND DEATH IN CHILDREN, TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS.

DETECTION - TO PREVENT SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST FROM OCCURRING BY FACILITATING THE DISCOVERY OF CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN EARLY ON. THE ORGANIZATION HOSTS FREE SCREENING EVENTS AT SCHOOLS IN THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA AREA, WHERE CHILDREN ARE PROVIDED WITH ECG EXAMS IN COMBINATION WITH MEDICAL HISTORY REVIEWS AND PHYSICAL EXAMS. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PROVIDES FREE ECG EXAMS TO NEWBORNS THROUGH ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEWBORN CLINIC AT ABINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. INNOVATION - THE ORGANIZATION STRIVES TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF CARE RECEIVED BY SEEMINGLY HEALTHY CHILDREN TO INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF DISCOVERING HEART CONDITIONS EARLY ON. TO ACHIEVE THIS, EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE MUST BE GATHERED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HEART CONDITIONS ARE PREVALENT AND THAT EARLY SCREENING IS BENEFICIAL. WHEN THE ORGANIZATION FOUND THAT THIS DATA DOES NOT EXIST, IT DEVELOPED, FUNDED AND CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN HEARTBYTES, A NATIONAL YOUTH CARDIAC REGISTRY OF SEEMINGLY HEALTHY KIDS. HEARTBYTES IS A DIGITAL PLATFORM TO HELP STREAMLINE THE HEART SCREENING PROCESS. IT IS ALSO A PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR QUALIFIED RESEARCHERS WHO WANT ACCESS TO DATA FREE OF CHARGE. HEARTBYTES CONTAINS DE-IDENTIFIED MEDICAL HISTORY, FAMILY HISTORY, VITALS, ELECTROCARDIOGRAMS AND ECHOCARDIOGRAMS FOR STUDENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 19. MEDICAL DATA HAS BEEN GATHERED THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH HEART SCREENINGS, SUCH AS THOSE HOSTED BY SIMONS' FUND. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO SUBSIDIZES THE LICENSE FEES FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR SCREENING EVENTS. REACTION - THE ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZES THAT SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST IN CHILDREN OCCURS, AND DEFIBRILLATION FOLLOWED WITH CPR IS ONLY ONE WAY TO SURVIVE IT. THE ORGANIZATION EDUCATES STUDENTS ABOUT CPR AND WORKS TO PLACE AED DEVICES IN YOUTH-RELATED FACILITIES. IT PROMOTES EDUCATION THROUGH PROGRAMS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS AND THROUGH THE CREATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS SUCH AS THE HEARTSAVERS MUSIC VIDEO. IT RECENTLY LAUNCHED GOTAED, A CROWDFUNDING WEBSITE DEDICATED TO GETTING AED DEVICES INTO YOUTH-RELATED FACILITIES. EDUCATION - THE ORGANIZATION UNDERSTANDS THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE THE PRIMARY WARNING SIGNS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST. THROUGH APPEARANCES IN THE NATIONAL MEDIA, PARTERSHIPS WITH SPORTS TEAMS AND FIGURES, AND BY WORKING TO PASS THE SCA PREVENTION ACT IN ALL 50 STATES, THE ORGANIZATION IS RAISING AWARENESS AMONG COACHES, PARENTS AND STUDENTS, AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE RISKS AND THE WARNING SIGNS OF CARDIAC ARREST.