Teen Survivor Pushes for Cardiac Emergency Plans in Texas Schools After On-Field Collapse
Ten months after suffering a cardiac arrest during football practice that left his heart stopped for 30 minutes, Austin teen Beckett Moore, 15, testified Monday before the Texas House Public Education Committee in support of legislation aimed at saving lives on school campuses.
Speaking in favor of House Bill 850, Moore urged lawmakers to support the placement of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) in public schools, along with the creation of a grant program to fund their implementation. CERPs are designed to ensure schools are equipped and prepared to respond to sudden cardiac emergencies involving students, staff, or visitors.
Moore survived due to the immediate response of a recently hired medical trainer who administered CPR. His case highlighted the importance of trained personnel on campuses, rather than reliance on existing plans that may be underdeveloped or absent.
“I was lucky. Really lucky. That’s the only reason I’m alive today,” Moore told the committee. “But we can’t go on hoping that luck will save us. We need schools to help protect us – and for that to happen, we need Texas to step up.”
The American Heart Association is calling on educators, parents, students, and health professionals to contact local officials and advocate for CERPs as a top priority. HB 850 is under review in the Texas Legislature. Learn more and get involved at YoureTheCure.org/NationOfLifesavers or text CERPS to 46839.
