The Peyton Walker Foundation

A nonprofit organization

The Peyton Walker Foundation was established in memory of 19-year-old Peyton, whose young and vibrant life was stolen by sudden cardiac arrest on November 2, 2013. Motivation to establish the foundation came from the words that were emblazoned on the shirt Peyton was wearing on November 2nd: “What we do for ourselves dies with us….What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” (Albert Pines) Her shirt called her family to action…establishing the Foundation to save young lives so that other families would never know the heartache of losing a child without warning to sudden cardiac arrest.

The Peyton Walker Foundation is one of the country’s prominent heart screening advocates and leaders in providing CPR and AED training and equipment donations. At The Peyton Walker Foundation, we aim to educate parents and students about the prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and the importance of electrocardiogram (EKG) testing of youth. We have screened thousands of youth and adults. We also provide AEDs to youth athletic organizations and nonprofits. We train thousands in CPR and AED usage.

Mission

The Foundation’s mission is to increase awareness and survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest through education, heart screenings, CPR training and AED donations. To date, the Foundation has provided FREE heart screenings for over 6,000 students and adults – some of which have led to potential life-saving medical attention. We have donated over 2000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to local nonprofits and youth athletic organizations. Thousands of community members, athletic coaches, athletes, and business leaders have been trained in CPR. Over $150,000 in educational scholarships has been provided to students pursuing degrees in healthcare.

Background Statement

EMS response times average 7-15 minutes. Typical survival rates from SCA are less than 10%. So, bystander response is critical for survival. The Peyton Walker Foundation was created to ensure that “the beat will go on” for people of all ages with undetected heart issues, so they can continue healthy active lives.

Needs

We provide free heart screening for thousands of youth and adults. Although medical staff donate their time, resources and consultation expertise free of charge we still incur costs and need to cover those expenses. We donate AEDs to youth athletic organizations and nonprofits. We have good relationships with our vendors but must pay for these AEDs. Expenses are covered through annual and corporate gifts and grants.