Peyton Walker Foundation Continues Life-Saving Mission with Free Heart Screenings, CPR Training, and AED Distribution
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Asia Tabb
Aired; July 1st, 2025.
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More than a decade after the loss of 19-year-old Peyton Walker to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the foundation created in her name is saving lives across Pennsylvania and beyond.
“In 2013, my husband and I had just sat down for breakfast and our phone rang—it was the call every parent dreads,” said Julie Walker, Peyton’s mother and founder of the Peyton Walker Foundation. “When we got to the hospital, we were told that our daughter had passed away from sudden cardiac arrest. My world just stopped in that moment.”
Peyton, a college sophomore studying to be a physician assistant, had been diagnosed in fifth grade with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart condition that runs in Julie Walker’s family. Despite being monitored by top cardiologists, her death was a devastating shock.
Determined to honor her daughter’s legacy, Walker launched the foundation to raise awareness of SCA and prevent similar tragedies. “The mission is so simple: increase awareness and survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest,” Walker said. “Our work is the result of the whole community coming together and supporting us.”
One of the foundation’s central programs is its free heart screenings for youth ages 10 to 22.
“When we say heart screening, we’re talking about an electrocardiogram (EKG)—a simple, painless test,” explained Walker. “We check vitals, heart history, and listen for murmurs. If anything, abnormal shows up, we provide an echocardiogram on-site. And while they wait, everyone—parents and kids—learns how to do CPR and use an AED.”
These screenings have uncovered life-threatening heart conditions in numerous children, prompting further treatment or lifelong monitoring. In some cases, issues discovered in children have led to parents getting screened—and diagnosed—as well.
“We’ve screened thousands of kids in the last 11 years,” Walker said. “Some went on to have surgery. Some are now monitored for life. The screenings are free, quick, and could save someone’s life.”
The next heart screening will be held August 2 at McCaskey High School in Lancaster. Registration is now open at peytonwalker.org.
Another core pillar of the Foundation is getting Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) into schools, sports fields, and public spaces. “When someone is in cardiac arrest, it’s like flipping a power switch off in the heart,” said Walker. “You don’t have time to wait for EMS. An AED can shock the heart back into rhythm and save a life.”
The Foundation’s “Four-Minute City” initiative, piloted in Cumberland County, distributes AEDs to trained community members. These AEDs are connected to the 911 system, allowing dispatchers to alert nearby volunteers when a cardiac arrest is suspected.
“We gave away 300 AEDs in Cumberland County, and we’ve already had the first save in the country from this program,” said Walker. “Now we’re rolling it out in Dauphin County with another 300 devices. We’re still looking for community members who are willing to step up, get trained, and house an AED.”
Anyone in Dauphin County can sign up online to receive training and participate.
