Lana’s Mitzvah Project and Lauren Berk Day

For my mitzvah project I have chosen to support Project ADAM. Project ADAM stands for automated defibrillators in Adam’s memory (AED). Project ADAM goes into schools and community facilities and educates people how to do CPR. It works to make schools and community facilities “Heart Safe.” This involves not only the presence of an AED, but also a team of people who know exactly what to do when someone is having a cardiac emergency.

This is of particular importance to me. As many of you know…On October 18, 2024 I went into sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) at a bar mitzvah. While my remembrance of the night is very little, I do know that a guest at the mitzvah performed CPR on me immediately (he saved my life) and I was then sent to Lurie Children’s Hospital. Lurie Children’s is a place I have had much experience with for many years. It is a place that is important to me because they have always taken such good care of me and the entire staff is so friendly and warm.

I have spent a lot of time there, because before this event happened, I was diagnosed with Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) when I was two years old. My parents had me tested for it because family members of mine also have HCM. Following my SCA in October, I was in the hospital for about six days. On October 23 I had surgery for an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) by my left shoulder. I was then released from the hospital the day after my ICD was implanted.

I am very lucky for how my situation has turned out and I could not be more grateful. This is why I am donating to Project ADAM. I want more people to be educated in CPR so more people can have their lives saved. As part of my Mitzvah Project, we will also be holding CPR classes. Stay tuned for details on those classes if you are interested.

As I mentioned earlier, other people in my family have HCM. People who know me know how important my family is to me. My dad, my grandma (I call her Darling) and my Aunt Lauren all were diagnosed with HCM. Aunt Lauren passed away in 2005, before I was born. Even though I never met her, my family has shared great memories about her and have told me all about her. She was passionate about her family, too and was filled with lots of love.

Saturday should be Aunt Lauren’s 44th birthday and our family always does a fundraiser to celebrate her day. I am very proud to announce my Mitzvah Project in advance of Aunt Lauren’s Birthday and use this day to start raising money for Project ADAM.

I am very thankful for Lurie Children’s Hospital and am excited to bring awareness to Project Adam. I can’t think of a better way to start it off than acknowledging “Lauren Berk Day.”