OUR STORY
The Afternoon of November 30, 2007
During warm-ups for soccer practice the afternoon of November 30, 2007, our close friend Rafe Maccarone (who had been cleared by every sports physical) laid down during a short break between warmup runs. Our team had just finished a two mile jog and we were taking time to stretch and recover. A few moments went by and Rafe was the only person not standing up and ready to continue warm-ups.
We quickly realized that Rafe was unconscious and rushed to his side. We had no idea that Rafe had a deadly, undetected heart condition and, tragically, Sudden Cardiac Arrest was his first symptom.
A Day We’ll Never Forget
As Klynton and Coach Schultz were performing CPR, two other teammates, Kieran Easton and Zane Schultz, sprinted through the high school yelling for help and looking for the automated external defibrillator (AED). After a few minutes of searching, Zane and Kieran arrived at a locked door that had our school’s AED behind it, which meant CPR was our only option until an ambulance arrived.
When the ambulance arrived at our school a few minutes later, the road onto the high school soccer field was blocked by a locked gate, which slowed down their response time as we waited for the paramedics to unlock the gate and arrive at Rafe's side. The paramedics then brought Rafe to the hospital.
December 1, 2007 - The Worst Day
Our community was rocked by the shocking reality that a healthy and active athlete, who passed all his sports physicals and never had a sign or symptom, could collapse and die in the arms of his teammates while playing the sport he loved most.
Rafe passed away at Arnold Palmer Hospital just a few days before his 16th birthday.
Tragically, Rafe’s condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, would have had a ~95% chance of being detected by an electrocardiogram (ECG) heart screening. We were saddened and furious to learn that SCA is a leading cause of death in our youth with limited preventative steps taken to address it throughout childhood.
#1
Cause of Death in Student-Athletes
#1
Cause of Death on School Campuses
Tribute to Rafe
A person who impacted our community for the years to come
In the aftermath of Rafe’s passing, our friends and family came together to honor and cherish Rafe’s legacy by creating the Play For Rafe Foundation. During this time, we began to develop an understanding of SCA as a massive public health crisis. We learned that an ECG heart screening was the standard of care for big time collegiate, professional, and Olympic athletes. We discovered there were several countries that long ago recognized SCA in youth as an immense public health issue and established regular ECG heart screening protocols to identify and protect students at risk. Those efforts abroad, in countries such as Italy, have reduced the incidence of SCA by ~89% and saved thousands of young lives.
Video Courtesy of:
RAFE’S COACH, HEMAL PATEL
Who Was Rafe
Son, Friend, Teammate, & More. Hear from Rafe and his friends and teammates about who Rafe was and the lasting impact he had on all who knew him.
Rafe’s Podcast
Rafe recorded this podcast for a class the same afternoon he suffered from SCA.
Rafe’s Friend Kennedy
A short story about Rafe from his friend Kennedy’s perspective
Rafe’s Friend Erin
A short story about Rafe from his friend Erin’s perspective
Rafe’s Friend Courtney
A short story about Rafe from his friend Courtney’s perspective
Rafe’s Friends Nino & Evan
A short story about Rafe from his friends Nino and Evan
The Founding of WWPF
With ongoing guidance and support from the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State, our group of close friends met in room 114 of our fraternity house at Florida State and founded WWPF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to try and create a national movement to protect kid’s like Rafe.
2012 - Getting Started
2013 - First Milestone
Who We Play For brought the first community-wide heart screening event to Tallahassee, FL, which marked the first-ever ECG heart screening event run by college students. Since then, WWPF’s impact includes providing ECG heart screenings to hundreds of thousands of students across +500 communities in dozens of states. WWPF has saved hundreds of young lives by identifying previously undetected life-threatening heart conditions that required immediate medical intervention. WWPF has also identified thousands of minor heart abnormalities, which could lead to SCA later in life. Through local, state, and federal laws and advocacy bills, WWPF has educated millions on the immense public health crisis that is SCA.
We have dedicated 10+ years to building and growing Who We Play For because, to us, Who We Play For represents every young person that lost their life to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Our fight is to ensure that other families, teams, and communities will never know that pain.
Rafe Maccarone Scholarship Recipient
Get Involved
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Social Advocacy
The simplest way for you to support our mission is by sharing about us on your social media.
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Heart Screenings
An ECG is one of the only ways to catch a life-threatening heart defect before SCA occurs. Have you been screened?
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AED Placement Programs
AEDs assist in life-saving, time-sensitive measures that must be taken when a person has a SCA event. Make sure your community has an AED.
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CPR Programs
Knowing CPR can help save a life. Check out the classes, programs, and other ways to learn more about CPR.
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Physicians
The physicians involved in WWPF help us to read ECGs from our participants and host ECGs in their offices.
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Xpress ECG Program
The first 12-lead ECG machine that can get shipped straight to your door in the United States. Test yourself and your family from your home.
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Classes & Webinars
Our team of experts give lectures across the country and online advocating for the research and technology needed to fight SCA.
