M Bar C Construction partnering with the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation in donating approximately 75 lifesaving AED’s throughout Southern California schools.
On a rainy Sunday morning, volunteer crews made up of parents, nurses, doctors, and teachers filled the gymnasium of Mission Vista High School, preparing for an Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation (EPSAL) provided heart screening event. With a line of students and parents assembling outside the gymnasium awaiting the start of the process, the volunteers assembled in the center of the gymnasium for the typical pre-event team meeting. Cardiologist, Dr. John Rodgers addressed the volunteers, “We have about 1000 students signed up for free heart screenings today. Statistics tell us that 10 of them, will have heart abnormalities putting them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.” In total, 739 students were screened at Mission Vista High School, seven were found to have heart abnormalities. Three of those cases were serious enough to be at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
From a mission to a partnership…
Rhina Paredes-Greeson and Hector Paredes, the founders of the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation, know these statistics all too well. In 2009 their son Eric, a healthy high school sophomore, died suddenly from sudden cardiac arrest. Eric’s legacy lives on through the creation of the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation. The foundation provides free heart screenings for students throughout San Diego County. Through their efforts, they have provided heart screenings for 34,121 students. These screenings have discovered 527 cardiac abnormalities and 236 teens at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
Two years ago, M Bar C Construction President and CEO, Jason Ianni, found himself fascinated by the life-saving services that the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation provides. A fellow parent of a teammate on his daughters’ field hockey team shared with Jason how her teen participated in an Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation provided heart screening. Because of her participation in the screening, they discovered that her otherwise healthy daughter had a heart abnormality putting her at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest. As a parent and a business owner, Jason knew, that there was a way he could help.
M Bar C Construction is proud to be a partner for schools throughout Southern California in the installation of solar carport systems. These DSA carports provide shade for staff and student vehicles and implement clean energy solutions for the schools at which they are built. Recognizing that these schools provide education for local students, M Bar C feels a deep sense of responsibility for not only the structures we build at these schools but for the students that attend them as well.
A key mission for EPSAL is providing automated external defibrillators (AED) for schools throughout San Diego.
“When SCA strikes, immediate treatment is critical. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and treatment with an automated external defibrillator (AED) can help save the victim’s life if given within minutes of the event. “
With so few local schools providing easily accessible AED’s, M Bar C saw a need and partnered with EPSAL in an AED placement program. Over the two-year partnership, M Bar C Construction and EPSAL have provided approximately 75 AED’s to San Diego County Schools.
These AED’s are a lifesaving tool that without the EPSAL and M Bar C Construction, wouldn’t be present at local schools. They can be found placed strategically around school campuses with the intention of the easiest possible accessibility.
Neil Bradley, M Bar C Construction, Director of Strategic Accounts and key EPSAL Partner shared;
“It’s about saving lives. We all know about the stories of the athletes falling and suddenly dying. But most think it’s whether their coaches are maybe pushing them too hard. When in fact it’s potentially an unknown heart condition. Typical physicals don’t include EKG’s, so often students go without any idea that they have a heart abnormality. This is where the foundation steps in with providing free heart screenings.”
Our partnership with the Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation has provided M Bar C Construction with the opportunity to support the foundation through heart screenings, general awareness, but most importantly through saving lives.
To learn more about this lifesaving foundation, request a heart screening or to donate please visit: https://epsavealife.org/donate/