Children are not supposed to suffer heart attacks, but the statistics are chilling.

Over 6,000 individuals under the age of 18 will experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest event that will precipitate the need for EMS to respond, according to the American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2015 Update.

The survival rate is only 10.6 percent.

JJ Pesany counts himself lucky to be included in this small percentage.

Pesany was putting away portable goal posts after a football camp at Lancaster High School in Buffalo (N.Y.). One of the goal posts accidently struck an overhead high voltage wire, which sent a severe electrical shock through the young man, his coach and two other nearby players.

The previously healthy and athletic 15-year-old immediately went into cardiac arrest.

Although Pesany has no recollection of the event, he is able to relay his experience because detective Keith Kerl happened to be nearby when he received the initial 911 distress call.

The detective immediately realized the gravity of the situation once he arrived on the scene and instantly began CPR. He also dispatched his partner, officer Robert Cornell, to retrieve the automated external defibrillator (AED) they had in their patrol car.

Jen Pesany, JJ’s mother, believes that the fast-thinking and fast-acting by the two policemen saved her son’s life.

“Had he not received the heroic, lifesaving skills that were critical to his survival from Detective Kerl within minutes of his heart stopping, JJ would not still be here with us today,” said Pesany’s mother.

While the efforts of both policemen is laudable, their heroic actions would not have come to pass had an AED not been easily accessible.

Although you may not be familiar with what an AED is or how to use it, you likely have heard the word defibrillator. The machine has received praise in the media as a lifesaving device that should only be used by a trained professional.

However, an AED is much different than what is presented in the movies. These lifesaving devices are user friendly and do not necessitate the yelling of “Clear!” prior to usage.

“Anyone can use one and nobody should be afraid to use one…[Just] turn the device on and it will start talking to you and telling you everything you need to know step by step. AEDs aren’t dangerous…they are not scary or difficult, but are easy to use and save lives,” said Pesany.

The young man knows what he is talking about.

The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest is reduced approximately 10 percent for every minute that defibrillation is delayed, according to the American Red Cross. Meanwhile, after 911 is called, the average response time for first responders is approximately 8-12 minutes, according to the American Red Cross.

If an AED is nearby and available it can cut down the response time exponentially and save lives.

“Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time so having an AED nearby allows for a quicker response and a better chance of survival,” said Pesany.

The sobering statistics combined with personal experience has transformed Pesany into a campaigner for CPR and AED awareness. He has traveled to Albany to meet with New York state legislators and advocate on behalf of widespread CPR training and AED availability.

In late 2015, Pesany’s advocacy helped pass the CPR in Schools bill in New York, which has also passed in 33 other states. The bill ensures that all high school students within the state will receive hands-on CPR training prior to graduation.

“This is a life skill that, hopefully, they’ll never have to use, but they’ll have available should they need it,” said JJ’s father, Joe to the Buffalo News.

He has also worked locally with Kerl to train over 1,000 area high school students to perform CPR.

“It’s got to have a ripple effect to save lives, it just has to,” said Kerl to WBFO. “Somebody’s going to be in the right place, at the right time. Hopefully, if somebody goes into cardiac arrest, there’s going to be thousands and thousands of people out there who are trained and jump in and do this easy thing.”  

More recently, Pesany and his family have become involved in Player Safety Coach Clinics organized by USA Football and the Buffalo Bills. 

We celebrated Play Football Month with a Protection Tour, Moms Clinic, youth teams and more! https://t.co/rjmF2ZC0TJ pic.twitter.com/DIQvmGP1Ty

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) August 29, 2016

“JJ and I have both been honored to speak at the past few coaches clinics and have truly appreciated how many have recognized the importance of CPR & AED training,” said Pesany’s mother, Jen.

These clinics have trained numerous area football coaches, parents and players to perform CPR and push to broaden the availability of AEDs. The easy-to-learn skills that are taught at these clinics have the potential to save lives.

“It is imperative that a coach or even a fellow teammate begin the chain of survival within the first few critical minutes until EMT's arrive,” Jen said.

JJ realizes that he was lucky Kerl and an AED were in close enough proximity to save his life. He is doing everything he can to pay it forward.  

“It feels good to know that I could give back,” Pesany told the Buffalo News.

Interested in learning more or acquiring an AED? Physio Control offers a discount through USA Football.