DAN REED SOARING HEARTS FOUNDATION
Saving lives through heart health
Dedicated to donating and placing Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), funding heart screenings, providing CPR and AED education, and honoring all those lost to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer run organization.
-
Every defibrillator (AED) can help prevent another tragedy.
-
Every single EKG can help identify an undiagnosed heart condition.
-
Each person trained in CPR means another chance to save a life.
_edited.jpg)
The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation was formed in honor of our son Dan.
After a normal gym workout, he was struck by an unanticipated Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). There was no one to help him, and there was no automated external defibrillator (AED). His life was taken at the age of 33. The world lost a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend.
Our lives were forever changed.
Dan wanted to make a difference in the world. His family and friends mean to carry forth his spirit by donating and placing AED's, funding heart screenings, and providing CPR and AED education to increase awareness that every one of us can save a life.
We are determined to promote a world where every heartbeat matters!
Soar For Dan!
Join us on our journey to save lives!
ABOUT US
ABOUT US
Meet Dan
Dan was the oldest of three boys. He was born with a hole in his heart (a Ventricular Septal Defect, or VSD). Doctors assured us it would likely close on its own, but it didn’t. After two life-threatening infections, Dan underwent open heart surgery at the age of 10 to close the hole.
From that point on, Dan lived life to the fullest. He went on to play baseball, golf, and ultimate frisbee; he took up fencing, biking and skiing. He loved being active and pushed himself to partake in everything. Dan was always seeking new adventures be it curling, traveling, skydiving, or paragliding.
He became an electrical and computer engineer at Northrop Grumman, a U.S. manufacturing company working on American defense. Dan's work was classified so we can’t say exactly what he did, but we were told it was a project that helped keep our country safe from attack. He enjoyed mentoring and helping others and helping them discover their own answers. In that same light, Dan was deeply loyal and committed to his family and friends, always making time for those he cared about.
Dan was also mischievous and definitely a prankster. One story from his work friends tells how late one night, he taped a small strip of paper underneath his colleagues’ computer mouses. In the morning, no one could figure out why their mouses weren't working. It led to a good laugh when they discovered a small note on the bottom of their mouse that read, "April Fools!" Yep, a prankster! Dan had a deep, hearty laugh and a can-do attitude. He was a vibrant person, just shy of completing his MBA and he was excited about what the future would bring.
On October 31, 2020, after an early morning work-out at the gym, he returned home. Without any warning or symptoms, his heart went into a fatal arrhythmia - sudden cardiac arrest. We lost our boy that day and our world was shattered.
_JPG.jpg)
Dan at work
Dan with friends in Tahoe, CA
Three Brothers
A couple of Dan's favorite quotes:
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
- Albert Einstein
"It's fun to do the impossible."
-Walt Disney
Who We Are
When we lost Dan in 2020, we were devastated. To this day, we have not really figured out how to move forward in a world without him. A piece of us is missing.
As parents, we feel driven to keep his name, spirit and memories alive. We keep a candle burning for Dan, day and night. After we lost him, we sent lily bulbs to family and friends to plant in their gardens. To date, there are over 200 bulbs planted across the country that bloom every summer to help us remember Dan and to bring beauty and love to the world.
There are two scholarships named in honor of Dan awarded each year: one to engineering students at the University of Colorado, Boulder (where Dan earned his undergraduate degree) and another at Rady School of Management, UCSD (where he was earning his MBA) for a catalyst fund supporting entrepreneurial students.
Then, in 2024, through happenstance, we learned of Parent Heart Watch and other organizations dedicated to preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). By connecting with them and talking with other parents who lost children to SCA, we found the inspiration to honor Dan in a new way; one we hope will have a more significant and far-reaching impact.
In 2025 we formed the Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation, 501(c)3. The foundation is dedicated to donating and placing AEDs, funding youth and adult heart screenings, and providing CPR and AED education to increase awareness that every one of us can help save a life.
The mission resonates deeply with us. If, along the way, we can keep another family from experiencing a loss like ours, then we will truly have made a difference. Making a difference and improving lives was important to Dan, and we can’t think of a better, more meaningful way to honor our son.
The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation is the next step in our journey. We are so grateful to have you with us. Your love and continued strength holds us tight and keeps us going.
Family hike in Tahoe, 2020
Dan being Dan
Asiatic lily bulbs planted by family and friends.
WHAT WE DO
The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation places Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in schools, community sports centers, parks, and other public gathering places. We partner with screening organizations to bring free heart screenings (including EKGs) to youth and adults. Through our education programs, we fund CPR and AED training to empower everyone with the knowledge that every one of us can help save a life.
Donate AEDs
Our goal is to ensure an AED is within 4 minutes of any person in need.
Fund Heart Screenings
A non-invasive EKG can detect hidden heart conditions that can lead to SCA. This can occur in up to 1 in 300 children.
Educate
Fund CPR and AED certification programs to build a community of confident responders, increasing the chance of survival during cardiac emergencies.
Is your School, Team, or Community Center prepared for a Cardiac Emergency?
Donate AEDs
The American Red Cross explains that an AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a medical device designed to aid individuals experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It's user-friendly and can analyze the heart's rhythm, potentially administering an electrical shock (defibrillation) to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Importantly, Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) incidents often occur in public areas. The presence of AEDs in schools and school-related activities and public places of gathering significantly enhances the chances of survival. Every minute without defibrillation reduces the victim's survival odds by 10%.
The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation donates and places AEDs and their housing in schools, community sports center, parks, and other places of gathering. Our hope is to have an AED within 4 minutes of a person who is in need.
Fund Heart Screenings
Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation works with screening partners to bring free EKG testing to youth and adults. We sponsor screenings to provide EKG testing for undiagnosed heart conditions.
1 in 300 youth are at risk for an undetected heart condition.
We are collaborating with Kyle J. Taylor Foundation in Northern California.
To find upcoming screenings in other locations, check out Parent Heart Watch. If you are unable to find an open screening, we suggest that you reach out to your family physician for next steps.
Screenings in Northern California
A foundation sponsor, Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation supports the Kyle J. Taylor Foundation Screening program in Northern California. For the KJTF screening schedule and more information, please visit:
For All Other Locations
Find free or affordable heart screenings by visiting the Parent Heart Watch website and click on your state.
Parent Heart Watch is a national organization dedicated to protecting children and young adults from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and preventable sudden cardiac death by educating and advocating for change.
-
Heart Screenings are not currently part of regular well-child check-ups or pre-participation sports physicals.
-
Non-cardio focused approach to youth check-ups misses over 90% of youth at risk for SCA.
-
EKGs are the most effective tool to identify youth at risk for SCA.
-
A simple, non-invasive EKG can detect over 70% of hidden heart conditions that put kids at risk for SCA.
-
Heart screenings save lives!
Educate
The Dan Reed Soaring Hearts Foundation aims to raise awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest. By combating common misperceptions and helping to fund instruction in CPR and AED use, we hope to inspire and empower others to act confidently when someone needs help.
In a cardiac emergency, time is of the essence. You are the help until emergency services arrive. Act immediately to save a life!
MYTHS
You need to be a medical professional to use an AED.
FACTS
An AED is designed for anyone to use. The device provides clear, simple audio instructions to guide you.
You can hurt someone by using
an AED.
You will NOT hurt someone with an AED. It will only advise a shock if the person is in a specific type of cardiac arrest. It cannot shock a healthy heart
You can be held legally responsible for unintentional harm when trying to help.
Good Samaritan laws are in place in all 50 states to protect those who offer emergency assistance in good faith. They are designed to encourage people to help without fear of being sued.
Your knowledge and courage can make all the difference.
Below are a couple informative videos that you may find useful:
Common Myths about
CPR and AEDs
HEART FACTS
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is not a heart attack. It is an electrical malfunction that causes the heart to suddenly and unexpectedly stop beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. CPR can temporarily help keep the blood flowing to these vital organs, but an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is the ONLY way to restart the heart of someone in SCA!
Did You Know?
23,000 children, 365,000 people of all ages are affected by SCA annually.
SCA is the #1 cause of death on school campuses nationwide.
SCA strikes people of ALL ages, even children and teens. There may or may not be any warning symptoms.
Hard Facts
Brain damage begins to set in within 4 minutes.
Average emergency services response time in the U.S. is 8-12 minutes.
When an SCA occurs outside of a hospital, it is fatal 90% of the time.
How You Can Help
If you see someone who is down and is not breathing:
1. Call 911
2. Start CPR
3. Shock
Don't wait for emergency services, YOU may be the only one that can save their life!
