At age 25, the former Appalachian State standout basketball player was at the height of his game, having just returned to the U.S. from a professional season in the Dominican Republic with big future plans for his career. On July 11, 2013, he took to the court again at a semi-professional game in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. But little did he know his life was about to change. As he sprinted down the court on a fast break, Omar collapsed, suffering from a 13-minute sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), leaving him with less than a 10 percent chance of survival. Following on-site cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and several shocks to his heart by an automated external defibrillator, Omar miraculously survived. After consulting with a cardiologist, Omar received a Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator, a device surgically implanted just underneath the skin to provide continuous protection from the risk of another SCA.
He now leads a normal life and has turned his passion of helping others into action by making it his life mission to prevent any other family from losing a loved one due to a lack of SCA awareness or education about available screenings and treatment, even for young, active, seemingly healthy adults. In 2014, he founded the Omar Carter Foundation to train athletes and families in CPR and the use of AEDs and to educate the public about SCA.
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