What one mom’s unimaginable moment on a baseball field teaches us about preparedness, cardiac arrest, and the three minutes that can save a child’s life. 

When Sarah Stuebe’s son Oscar collapsed during a youth baseball game, she did what no parent ever imagines having to do: she performed CPR on her own child. Oscar had been struck in the chest by a pop fly, not a line drive, not a particularly hard hit. But it landed at exactly the wrong moment, triggering a rare and often fatal condition called commotio cordis. 

In Episode 3 Living MaxJoy, Sarah shares the full story alongside Karen McCandless, CRNP, a cardiac nurse practitioner at Nemours Children’s Health. Together, they offer a message that is equal parts urgent and reassuring: awareness saves lives, and it starts with you.

“Rare doesn’t mean impossible. Being prepared is how we prevent tragedies.” — Sarah Stuebe 

What is Commotio Cordis?

Commotio cordis is cardiac arrest caused by a blunt, non-penetrating blow to the chest, not from the force of the impact, but from its timing. If a hit lands during a vulnerable window in the heart’s rhythm, it can trigger ventricular fibrillation and stop the heart entirely. 

What Every Parent and Coach Should Know:

• Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to healthy children.
  • There is no warning. There is no underlying condition that predicts it. Any child playing any sport where a ball or stick can hit the chest is at some level of risk. 

• The first three minutes are everything.
  • CPR must begin within 3 minutes of collapse to meaningfully improve survival odds. Every minute without defibrillation reduces survival by roughly 10%.  

• Every sports venue should have an AED — on-site, accessible, known.
  • Not nearby. Not in the car. On-site and within reach. Before any game or practice, ask: Is there an AED here? Where is it? Is it operable? 

• Anyone can use an AED. And anyone can learn CPR.
  • AEDs are designed for untrained bystanders. They give instructions. They won’t let you make a mistake. The only wrong move is not using one. Similarly, CPR training is accessible, affordable, and takes only a few hours, and it can save a life you love. 

• Your league or camp should have an emergency action plan.
  • Ask the questions before you need the answers:If the organization can’t answer those questions clearly, advocate for a plan. 
    • Who calls 911? 
    • Who retrieves the AED? 
    • Who performs CPR? 
    • Where does EMS enter the facility? 

About Project Adam:

Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) was founded after a 17-year-old named Adam Lemel died of sudden cardiac arrest during a high school basketball game, a death that could have been prevented with an AED and a trained responder on site. 

Today, Project ADAM is a national program dedicated to making schools and youth organizations “heart safe” with functioning AEDs, CPR-trained staff, and a practiced emergency response plan in place before a cardiac emergency ever happens. 

At Nemours Children’s Health, Project ADAM supports schools and communities across the Delaware Valley with the tools and frameworks to get there. If you want to make your child’s school, camp, or league heart safe, Project ADAM is the place to start. 

About the Oscar Strong Foundation:

After Oscar’s survival, Sarah founded the Oscar Strong Foundation to make sure other families are better prepared than she was. The foundation focuses on cardiac arrest awareness, CPR training, AED access, and supporting families affected by sudden cardiac events in youth sports. 

If this episode moves you to act — get CPR certified, advocate for an AED at your child’s field, or share this story — that’s exactly what Sarah is asking for. 

Protective Equipment: An Added Layer

While no equipment eliminates risk, there are now clinically tested chest protectors specifically designed to reduce the likelihood of commotio cordis. The Unequal Technologies HART Shirt, uses military-grade layered padding positioned directly over the cardiac silhouette. 

Listen to Living MaxJoy Now

“A Parent’s Story — Why Every Family Should Know First Aid“ is available now wherever you get your podcasts. If this episode resonated with you, check out the links above — learn more about Project ADAM and the Oscar Strong Foundation, look into CPR/AED certification near you, and be prepared to ask those important questions.

ESF Camps & Experiences has spent 40+ years designing summer experiences that develop the whole child. Our programs are built in partnership with Nemours Children’s Health and grounded in pediatric research on resilience, social-emotional learning, and child development.