About Project Adam

Project Adam began in 1999 after the death of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, high school student who collapsed and died while playing basketball. Adam suffered sudden cardiac arrest, in which ventricular fibrillation occurred, a condition in which the ventricles cannot pump blood into the body. An automated external defibrillator (AED) could have saved his life.
In the early 2000s, Adam’s story along with similar sudden deaths of seemingly healthy youth launched nationwide and worldwide efforts to increase AED programs in schools.
Today, Project Adam is part of 28 affiliate organizations in 22 states across the country supporting Heart Safe School initiatives. Our program outreach has been responsible for helping save the lives of over 200 youth and adults in schools, making our mission just as critical as it was in 1999.
Our vision is to eradicate sudden cardiac death through school and community infrastructure development supporting prevention initiatives including Heart Safe Schools, advocacy, education and research.