Child’s Death Prompts New Law Mandating NY Schools to Plan for Heart Attacks

Arguing that every minute counts in a heart attack, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed a bill that will require New York’s public schools to develop plans to respond to cardiac emergencies.

The new law was prompted by the death of Desha Sanders, a 12-year-old girl who in 2009 collapsed while playing basketball at her school in western New York. The building had a defibrillator — which uses an electrical shock to jumpstart a stalled heart — but it was locked.

“No one could locate the keys to open it,” said state Sen. April Baskin, a Buffalo Democrat who is Sanders’ cousin. “And as precious, precious minutes ticked by, Desha’s life hung by a thread.”

The girl was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Baskin said. She sponsored the bill and advocated for its passage alongside the American Heart Association.

The new law requires that defibrillators be well-marked and accessible. School districts must train staff on how to use them, and develop a specific emergency plan. The new law takes effect in six months.

Hochul signed the measure at the Buffalo Bills’ summer training camp in Rochester. In 2023, the team’s safety, Damar Hamlin, collapsed on the field after he was hit in the chest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The impact triggered a rare medical condition called commotio cordis that stopped Hamlin’s heart.

Trainers and emergency medical personnel responded from the sidelines almost immediately, and were able to restart Hamlin’s heart. He was hospitalized for several days but made a full recovery.

Baskin said the incident showed how preparing for an emergency can lead to better outcomes.

“He’s here because in his time of need, there was a plan in place, a plan that deployed the Bills’ health professionals, first responders, and the Bills’ staff to spring into action,” she said. “A plan that saved that young man’s life.”

Hamlin didn’t attend the ceremony but was training nearby.

“To know that my experience is leading to real change — not just for people I know, but for lives I may never meet — means the world to me,” he said in a statement. “This is bigger than football. We’re putting the right systems in place to save lives, and that’s a legacy I’m proud to be part of.”

Desha Sanders’ mother said she hoped the new law would save lives in the future.

“Our grief is deep,” she said. “But knowing Deshaa inspired this law means so much. … Desha will help so many others who [hopefully] will never face the same kind of tragedy.”

Story by Jimmy Vielkind/New York Public News Network

Image: Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill called “Desha’s Law” on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The measure requires schools across New York state to put in place plans to respond to cardiac emergencies. (Credit: Darren McGee/Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office)