Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) began at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in 1999 after a series of sudden cardiac deaths among high school athletes in southeastern Wisconsin, including 17-year-old Adam Lemel. Many of these deaths appeared to be due to ventricular fibrillation. Adam’s parents, Patty and Joe Lemel, along with a childhood friend of Adam’s, collaborated with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to create Project ADAM in Adam’s memory, and the program has since been expanded to many other states throughout the U.S. The mission of Project ADAM is to serve children and adolescents through education and deployment of life-saving programs that help prevent sudden cardiac arrest.
Since Project ADAM’s inception in 1999, there have been 56 documented cases of lives being saved in Project ADAM-affiliated schools nationally.
At the University of Michigan, our faculty are focused on preventing sudden cardiac death through both primary and secondary prevention.
Primary prevention is promoted through:
- Use of a pediatric comprehensive pre-participation history and physical exam in medical offices for patients and any student participating in sports or physical education
- Early awareness and recognition of signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest in ALL children by primary care physicians, coaches, physical education teachers, school nurses and other adults who work with children
Learn more about screening recommendations for sudden cardiac arrest in students.
Secondary prevention is promoted through our Project ADAM Michigan initiative, which provides:
- Consultation on implementation of comprehensive CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) programs in schools
- Encouraging CPR/AED instruction for faculty, staff, coaches and middle school and high school students
Project ADAM Michigan provides schools with thoroughly-researched information and individual consultation on how to help prevent sudden cardiac death in the school setting.
Project ADAM Michigan’s goal is have all schools in Michigan establish effective sudden cardiac arrest preparedness procedures to help prevent the tragedy of sudden cardiac death in children. Learn more about what Project ADAM Michigan provides to participating schools.
Get Started!
To begin Project ADAM Michigan at your school or for more information, contact the Project ADAM Michigan coordinator at [email protected]. We look forward to working with you on this life-saving initiative.