Hi everyone! My name is Elliott Breech, I am a Division 1 varsity student athlete on the women’s soccer team at the University of Pittsburgh. I am launching Hands on Hearts, a fundraising campaign, in partnership with UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation to support Project ADAM. Project ADAM is a recently approved initiative in UPMC Children’s Heart Institute that provides a framework to implement Heart Safe Initiatives within schools, communities, and youth organizations.

I chose to support this program, because on December 25th, 2023, my life changed forever. On Christmas Day, my dad, an extremely healthy individual, experienced a sudden cardiac arrest in the basement of our home. Luckily, I knew how to perform high-quality CPR and placed an AED on my dad until Emergency Medical Services came to the scene to take over. After weeks in the hospital, receiving the highest forms of life support, and being taken care of by the most amazing doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists, my dad was able to make a full recovery. Today, he is back to work, hiking, and cheering me on at all my games.

While our story has a happy ending, doctors have said this could have been much different if he did not receive immediate, high-quality CPR. I want to continue to use my platform to spread my story, raise awareness, and make sure as many people as possible are equipped with the knowledge and resources in case of a sudden cardiac arrest. I want to empower people, especially kids, to be fearless and know that anyone can have the power to save a life.

Your donation to Hands on Hearts will go directly towards CPR training initiatives at youth sports clubs. This training will educate student athletes, coaches, and staff on the proper way to administer CPR and use of an AED, just like the training I received in 2023 – the training that saved my dad’s life.

Thank you so much for your support, and I hope to give back to the Pittsburgh community as much that it has given back to me these past few years.