Smiling Hearts: The Nick Blakely Foundation

02/11/2026

Whether you’re a student athlete, coach, or parent — this is news worth knowing! 🙌🏾

Leon County high school athletes will soon be required to have a one-time EKG heart screening before they can compete — starting in the 2026–2027 school year. This proactive health measure aims to detect hidden heart conditions early and keep our kids safe on the field. 💪🏾❤️ 

👉🏾 Learn more and read the full story here: https://www.wtxl.com/college-town/new-ekg-requirements-coming-for-leon-county-high-school-athletes-to-detect-heart-conditions

📌 First-time high school athletes will need the quick, painless EKG before joining sports teams.
📌 Exemptions are available for medical, religious, or cost concerns.
📌 The goal? Catch potential issues early and help keep young athletes healthy. 

Leon County will require a one-time EKG for high school athletes before competition, starting in the 2026–27 school year. The goal is simple. Catch potential heart concerns earlier and give families more information before a season begins.

An EKG isn’t a guarantee. It’s a tool and the best method of detecting conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death.

Read more:
https://www.wtxl.com/college-town/new-ekg-requirements-coming-for-leon-county-high-school-athletes-to-detect-heart-conditions

02/10/2026

This weekend, 50 young people received heart screenings—an important step in detecting hidden heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

Each screening represents peace of mind for a family and a chance to catch potential risks before tragedy strikes. We’re incredibly grateful to the families, volunteers, medical professionals, and partners who made this day possible.

This is how lives are protected! Thank you Kerri O’Kelley and the Cardiello family, The NOLA Network, and Gwinnett Parks and Recreation for supporting youth heart screening and continuing to spread awareness.

Please continue to share and advocate for heart health in your communities❤️

02/06/2026

❤️ Heart Attacks and Sudden Cardiac Arrest are NOT the same — and knowing the difference can save a life.

⚡ Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA): A life-threatening emergency where the heart suddenly stops beating, often linked to conditions like an enlarged heart — especially in young athletes.
🏃‍♂️ Most athletes show no warning signs.
🩺 Screening saves lives.

🫀 Heart Attack: A blockage stops blood flow to the heart muscle. The heart often keeps beating, but damage occurs.
👉 Monitor blood pressure and cholesterol to reduce risk.

Knowledge, prevention, and early screening make all the difference. Share this — it could save someone you love. 💙

01/25/2026

❤️ A simple screening can save a young life. ❤️

Sudden cardiac arrest often strikes youth with no warning signs. Heart screenings can detect hidden conditions before tragedy happens.

Join us for National Youth Heart Screening Day — FREE screenings for ages 10–22.

🗓 Saturday, February 7 | 10AM–2PM
📍 Lucky Shoals Park
👉 Register: Bit.ly/NationalYouthHeartScreeningDay

Protect their heart. Protect their future.
Please share. ❤️

01/07/2026

Our hearts are with Josh’s family, friends, and all who loved him during this incredibly difficult time. Josh was a passionate patient advocate whose dedication, integrity, and compassion left a lasting impact on everyone he worked with and the patients he served.

Josh and his family have created a meaningful contribution to sudden cardiac arrest awareness through their dedication to advancing heart health and supporting others. Our foundation has been honored to partner with Josh’s mom, Kerri, on youth heart screenings in Gwinnett County.

We extend our deepest condolences and send strength, comfort, and peace to his loved ones as they navigate this profound loss.

For those who have been in the Buford community for years, the feeling this week is eerily familiar and tragic.

11/04/2025

In Loving Memory of Nicholas Adam Blakely
November 4, 1997 – August 28, 2017

Today, we pause to remember Nick — a bright light whose smile, spirit, and heart continue to inspire us every day. Though he left us far too soon, his legacy lives on through the Nick Blakely Foundation, dedicated to saving lives and spreading awareness about sudden cardiac arrest.

In Nick’s honor, we continue our mission to provide life-saving AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) to schools, athletic programs, and community spaces — because every second counts when a life is on the line.

Your support helps us keep this mission alive. Please consider donating today to help us continue placing AEDs where they’re needed most.

💻 Visit nickblakelyfoundation.org and click “Donate Now”
📱 Or text NICKBLAKELY to 44321 to donate via mobile

Together, we can make sure no family has to endure the loss of a loved one to sudden cardiac arrest. 💔 Let’s keep Nick’s memory shining through every heart we help save.

10/11/2025

THE NATIONAL VOICE. PROTECTING YOUTH FROM SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST.

10/10/2025

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, anytime — even to young, healthy athletes. An AED used within 3 minutes can be the difference between life and death.

⚡ Survival drops 7–10% every minute defibrillation is delayed. Be ready — know where your nearest AED is located and how to use it.

❤️ Let’s make sure every field, gym, and school has one. The faster you act, the higher the chance of survival.

10/01/2025

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month 💙

SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses, taking about 2,000 young lives under 25 each year. Even more alarming—1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition.

The good news: immediate CPR and access to an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can double or even triple survival rates. That’s why the Nick Blakely Foundation is dedicated to donating AEDs and raising awareness. Together, we can save lives💓

06/29/2025

Tonight, Sunday at 7 p.m., The Nick Blakely Foundation will be featured on TV Channel 2’s Georgia Game Changers, showcasing inspiring stories of Georgians who are giving back, defying the odds, and changing lives.

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04/02/2025

This past weekend at Rhodes Jordan Park in Lawrenceville, free heart screenings were offered for individuals aged 10 through 22, courtesy of the Smiling Hearts Nick Blakely Foundation and Who

03/26/2025

Michelle Wilson has committed herself to protecting young people from similar tragedies suffered by her son, a former Archer High football player who died