LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, a time to spread awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

ACS is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. More than 300,000 people die from ACS each year.

Sydnee Hawkins of Lake Charles is now 25 years old. Around the time Hawkins was in third grade, she was told about her family history of long QT, a rare heart condition that can cause an irregular heartbeat.

“When I was in the third grade, that’s when it came to light. It was long QT. It’s a genetic thing on my mother’s side of the family. My mom, my sister and we all got tested,” Hawkins said.

From the time of her diagnosis until her junior year of high school, Hawkins said she took medication every night. One day in his freshman year, he passed out in geometry class.

“I went to the doctor the next day and it was long QT. It was time to get a defibrillator. I knew along the way that I was going to have to (get one) eventually because my mom already had one,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said she got her first shock from the defibrillator the night before she was supposed to return to school.

“It was pretty tough. If I didn’t have the defibrillator then I wouldn’t be here. A few months after that, I had like little ones, all asleep. They didn’t really wake me up. From then on, I was good,” Hawkins said.

Dr. Michael Turner, medical director of the Christus Ochsner St. Regional Heart Center. Patrick, has been treating Hawkins since her diagnosis.

“After a person is implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator, we try to get them back to a normal lifestyle,” Turner said. “We monitor the rhythm either remotely or in the office at 3 to 6 month intervals. They get medical management for whatever the problem is outlined, but we try to get them back to normal activity. We almost tell them to forget they have the device.”

Defibrillators can pace or shock the heart back to a normal rhythm. They are about 99% effective.

Turner says fainting can be an indication of some kind of heart problem.

More information about sudden cardiac arrest, including a list of available resources, can be found here HERE.

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