On a Thursday evening, August 21, 2008, 17-year-old Jenny died suddenly while playing soccer at a community park. She was a seemingly healthy, active student at Glenbrook North High School and was participating in a practice for a local club travel team in preparation for her varsity season. She was about to begin her senior year. No AED was available to restart her heart and a life that could have been saved was not.

Jenny had a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), which was caused by an undiagnosed congenital abnormality in her heart. One in 300 youth have an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk.

The only way to have saved Jenny’s life would have been to have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) that could shock her heart within minutes of her collapse. Sadly, none was available.

Jenny was a vibrant, spirited young woman who didn’t waste one minute of her life. Teens are dying every day in this country from SCA, and it’s important that people know about it and learn how they can prevent it.