Jack, five years old; Aedan, 22 months old; Jacob, 15 months old; and Colton, two years old recently helped people 20 times their age by assisting in passing a law. All were born with a congenital heart defect, and since April, they and their parents have met with their legislators, hosted a press conference, and were interviewed in the media about their efforts to get the Pulse Ox bill passed and signed into law.
Jack, Aedan, Jacob and Colton now don their red “American Heart Association Superhero” capes and celebrate the fact that Gov. Cuomo signed the Pulse Ox bill into law.
The Pulse Oximetry test will be given to every newborn before discharge from the hospital. It’s a simple and non-invasive test that measures the level of oxygen in the blood stream. A low level can be an indication of a congenital heart defect, the most common kind of birth defect. Nearly one in 100 children are born with a congenital heart defect.
“The sooner we identify a problem, the sooner we can treat it and let these children and their families lead the kinds of lives they imagined they would lead,” said Pediatric Cardiologist Dr. Harm Velvis, a spokesman for the American Heart Association. “Thank you, Governor Cuomo, for seeing the sense and simplicity of conducting a pulse ox test on every newborn.” Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh and Senator Bill Larkin, R-Cornwall-on-Hudson, sponsored the Pulse Ox Bill.
