From the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation, Inc.
East Elmhurst – Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) affects more than 300,000 lives each year and is the No. 1 killer among student athletes in the U.S., claiming one life every three days. SCA can happen at anytime, anywhere without warning.
It happened to Dominic Murray, a seemingly healthy 17-year-old while playing basketball. Dominic collapsed on the court at Farmingdale State College on Oct. 5, 2009. In the middle of a routine layup, his heart stopped.
Just a few weeks prior, Dominic received medical clearance to play college sports. His sudden cardiac death occurred just three months after graduating from high school, Msgr. McClancy M.H.S., East Elmhurst, and three short years after his father’s fatal heart attack at the age of 42.
As a widow and parent who lost her only child, Dominic’s mother Melinda made it her life mission to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy. In 2010, Melinda founded the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation (DomHeart21), named for Dominic, and developed programs focused on SCA education and awareness, CPR-AED training, early detection through cardiac screenings and sports safety to protect young athletes.
On Saturday, May 17, 2014, the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation will host its third annual DomHeart21 Classic at McClancy. Young athletes from New York, Long Island and the tri-state area will come together to raise awareness on SCA. JetBlue Airways, HeartSine and the McClancy athletic department are among 2014 DomHeart21 Classic sponsors.
The DomHeart21 Classic is more than a basketball competition. 14U Girls and a 14U Boys Divisions are “ballin’ to protect young hearts” vying for the automated external defibrillator (AED) that is awarded to the championship teams by the foundation for sports practices, games, events and travel. Before teams are allowed to compete in the DomHeart21 Classic, coaches and players must complete pre-game workshops in: 1) CPR-AED training, 2) SCA Education & Awareness, 3) Nutrition and 4) Sports Safety Education. Since 2011, through the DomHeart21 Classic program, thousands of people of all ages have been CPR-AED trained.
For more information, please call Melinda Murray at 347-738-6266 or e-mail melindamurray@domheart21.com.
Established in 2010, the Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation’s mission is to educate, promote awareness, create legislation and effectuate dramatic change in the screening, diagnosis and immediate treatment of sudden cardiac arrest in youth. The Foundation wholeheartedly advocate to create the next generation of life savers through education in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and the critical importance of non-invasive and painless heart screening. Through the implementation of these three vital components, The Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation has and continues to save lives.
