44 for Life was developed to decrease the incidence of death and disability from heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest. We provide programs that increase awareness and reaction time to heart conditions causing cardiac arrest in at-risk youth and adult populations across America.  

 

 

 

In 1990, the Loyola Marymount Lions (Los Angeles, CA) dazzled the country with their outstanding style of basketball—shooting the ball every 4seconds and setting NCAA records for the highest-scoring basketball games in NCAA Division I history. Leading the team were Hank Gathers (#44) and Bo Kimble—childhood friends since middle school. No one will ever forget March 4, 1990. Within minutes and in front of millions of viewers, Hank collapsed and later succumbed to Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

 

Little do people know that almost 20 years later, Bo Kimble witnessed the loss of another victim to Sudden Cardiac Arrest during a New Jersey league basketball tournament. No one present that day, including Bo, knew cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or had access to life saving cardiovascular equipment (Automated External Defibrillators-AED). Bo quickly learned that Sudden Cardiac Arrest was a leading cause of death in competitive athletes and despite significant medical advances; Sudden Cardiac Arrest was a leading cause of death in people, especially young athletes, worldwide.

 

Heart disease was no mystery to Tamara Goode. She lived it first hand with the death of her father who was 44 when he succumbed to a massive heart attack. She knew that familial history was a risk factor of heart disease. All of her father's siblings suffered some form of heart disease. Little did she know that 4 days after the birth of her son, that she would go into heart failure. She had no prior warnings or health history indicating that heart failure would occur. Her training as a Veterinarian educated her on the signs of heart failure (shortness of breath; severe swelling in legs, ankles and feet; fatigue) and were the driving force for her to get to an emergency room. In sharing her story, she realized that most women would have assumed that the signs she experienced were "normal" after having a child.  Dr. Goode realized that even still, despite all of the great advances and communications regarding heart disease and its risk factors, there is still an enormous population that remain unaware and unprepared to deal with a cardiac emergency and many people still don't know how to implement CPR or use an AED. 

 

In the year of our 44th President, the Forty-four (44) for Life Foundation was developed to create global change regarding Heart Disease and  Sudden Cardiac Arrest prevention. Our goal is to honor the lives of those who have lost their lives to heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest while educating the public about the ways that we can avoid further losses and disability. We're committed to creating global change for (4) Life!