Living for Zachary shares John Gregoire's 10 year Anniversary!

Living for Zachary celebrates 

Anniversary of Life

John Gregoire ‘s 10 year Anniversary of Life Celebration

John’s Story

On June 23rd, 2002 I experienced Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while working out with my wife and two boys at our health club. I had no symptoms, no pain or shortness of breath. Even when SCA happened, it was like turning off a light switch. There was no discomfort or chest clutching, just darkness. A heart surgeon, who was also at the club, saw me collapse. He immediately recognized that it was SCA and began CPR but I was not responding. He then asked if the club had a defibrillator. The club had just recently purchased one, and he used it to shock my heart back into rhythm. I had 99.9% blockage of a major artery that stents now keep open and I recovered completely. Please get a heart screening to see if you have any blockage and support the availability of defibrillators. I have a Philips defibrillator at home and at my office.

 Learn more about John’s story by viewing:

Living for Zachary is honored to share John’s story as he celebrates this milestone!


Donate to Living for Zachary

NTA Life, Living for Zachary partner to save lives

NTA Life, Living for Zachary partner to save lives

DALLAS, TX (April 19, 2012) – It is estimated that more than 10,000 young athletes and students, ages 12-22, die each year as a result of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA is an electrical disruption of the heart’s natural rhythm, in which the heart stops all together. Tragically, very few student athletes survive SCA. National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Company (NTA Life), a Dallas-based company, has teamed up with The Living for Zachary organization and is sponsoring a Mobile Heart Screening Event at Shelton School, May 10, 2012, 8am-5pm. These potentially life-saving screenings can detect the heart abnormalities that lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Sixty children will be screened in the HealthFair Mobile CardioVascular Bus, getting an echocardiogram ultrasound, EKG and blood pressure check. NTA Life is dedicated to raising awareness of undiagnosed heart issues in teens to prevent this “silent killer” (because it can occur without warning signs).

Living for Zachary is a non-profit organization founded in honor of Zachary Schrah, who was only 16 years old when he collapsed during a high school football practice on April 2, 2009. After Zachary’s death, his parents established the non-profit to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart issues in teens.

NTA Life is an established leader in providing quality products and premium service within the insurance industry for over 39 years. It specializes in offering supplemental health and life insurance programs to the education community, government agencies and emergency services throughout the United States. When it comes to health, NTA Life believes early detection saves lives.

NTA Life and Living for Zachary have joined together with THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, a provider of “Living for Zachary” SCA screenings, and HealthFair, a national leader in preventive mobile health testing for cardiovascular disease, in the effort to potentially save young lives.

Screenings Attempts to Prevent Cardiac Arrest in Teens NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Screenings Attempts to Prevent Cardiac Arrest in Teens

Screening takes 15 minutes

By Andres Gutierrez

|  Friday, May 11, 2012  |  Updated 7:15 PM CDT

A mobile unit is making its way around North Texas and the country screening for sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which an electrical disruption of the heart's natural rhythm makes the heart stops all together, resulting in death.

Living for Zachary is partnering up with others, such as Dallas-based National Teachers Associates Life Insurance Co., to provide mobile heart screenings around the country.

Karen Schrah founded the nonprofit Living for Zachary in memory of her son, Zachary, who collapsed and died during football practice in 2009.

"Prior to this episode, there was no warning signs," she said. "We had no indication that he had a heart condition or anything like that."

Since his death, Schrah has made it her mission to raise awareness of SCA.

"Had Zachary had this heart screening, he would still be here today," she said.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs more often than people think and to those they may least suspect.

In the United States, more than 10,000 athletes and students between the ages of 12 and 22 are estimated to die of SCA each year.

The mobile heart screening lasts about 15 minutes.

It starts off with an electrocardiogram test that examines the heart's electrical activity. An ultrasound that looks inside of the heart is then conducted.

Seth Goodwin, 18, got a mobile screening after his mother signed him up for the test.

"It was cool to see my heart on the screen, to see it beat," he said.