Waukesha student EKG testing; 'Kai 11' mission draws hundreds
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Hundreds of students lined up in Waukesha to test their tickers Wednesday, Aug. 9 – record-breaking turnout that could save a life.
Charles Peterson is a Port Washington High School Football player. During the summer, the last thing on his mind is taking a test, but he went all the way to Waukesha for an EKG.
"I’ve been doing some weightlifting for football and stuff," he said. "Like with the Damar Hamlin situation, with him collapsing on the field, it’s a bit of a shock. It makes you more aware of your heart health."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Wednesday marks the fourth year the Kai 11 Save A Heart Mission sponsored a mass EKG screening for students. It’s a test that could save his life, and nearly 500 people signed up this year.
"It gives me a lot of pride that we are finally getting awareness out," said Patty Lermer.
Kai Lermer
Lermer's 16-year-old son, Kai, died from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2019.
"His physicals were always perfect," she said.
An EKG detects inconsistencies with the heart’s rhythm. Lermer said it would have been the only way to have known Kai’s condition.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
"The first year we tested we found another student with Wolff-Parkinson-White (syndrome) that Kai was diagnosed with," said Lermer. "It was meant to be that we saved that person’s life and that family some grief."
Even as students waited in line, the Waukesha Fire Department taught them CPR. Fire crews said at least one life is saved every month in Waukesha by a good Samaritan who knows CPR.
"If they can get the CPR going right away before we get there, it's giving them a chance," said Waukesha Fire Inspector Tony Koerner.
CPR training at EKG testing in Waukesha
For a student like Peterson, who puts his whole heart into football, there’s peace of mind as he takes the field.
"Making sure your heart is healthy is a very important aspect of that," he said.
The Kai 11 bill was signed into law last year by Gov. Tony Evers. It requires high schools and sports programs to provide information on the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and the opportunity to have an EKG. Kai was a Waukesha North High School student-athlete who wore No. 11 in football and basketball.
PulsePoint App
The PulsePoint app uses your phone's location to help you find the nearest AED. All city-owned properties in Waukesha, like parked, have one. The app will also let you know if a nearby business has one.
The app provides alerts to your phone if someone near you is in need of CPR, too.
Milwaukee became a PulsePoint community in 2019, and Waukesha followed in 2020.