Malone High School will receive a life-saving piece of equipment Friday night from one of its alumni.
Chai Baker, a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) survivor, will present the school with an automated external defibrillator during halftime of the Malone Tigers vs. Marianna Bulldogs boys’ varsity basketball game. Tipoff is set for 7:16 p.m. CT at the school, situated at 5361 9th Street in Malone.
Baker collapsed from SCA during a practice at Oregon State University, where trainers administered CPR and used an AED until EMTs arrived. Doctors later told him that the quick response and the availability of an AED likely saved his life.
Baker now serves as co-Chair of Who We Play For’s League of Champions, using his story to push for broader access to heart screenings and defibrillators across Florida schools. The nonprofit, based in Florida, focuses on eliminating preventable sudden cardiac death in young people through affordable ECG screenings and advocacy.
Friday’s presentation highlights that effort as the organization prepares for the 2026-27 school year, when Florida families will be able to access low-cost ECG screenings sponsored by Cardiac Insight, WWPF’s official ECG partner.
SCA is the leading medical cause of death among student-athletes, responsible for an estimated 75% of deaths during youth sports. Roughly one in 300 young people has a detectable heart condition that puts them at risk. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy — often identifiable through ECG screening — is the most common cause.
WWPF has grown into the country’s largest nonprofit specializing in youth heart screening, providing hundreds of thousands of tests and identifying numerous children who required immediate medical intervention.
Those interested in future screenings can register through the organization’s website.
