State Sen. Stephen Buoniconti says he's going to file legislation to make sure all high school coaches know CPR and how to use a defibrillator.
Massachusetts is one of the only two states in New England that does not require high school athletic coaches to be certified in CPR or the use of a defibrillator.
The legislation could save lives. Earlier this month, a Putnam Vocational Technical High School student collapsed during basketball practice and died. George Cruz was only 18 years old.
CPR may not have saved his life, but his mother says a defibrillator just might have.
Cruz's mother Sonia Gonzalez would have liked more communication from the school district since her son's death on December 5th.
"I haven't heard from anybody yet and this was a loss, a big loss, it was my son, my child and he had many dreams for his life and there are no words and I haven't heard a word from the coach or the team," Gonzalez says.
"The nurses office had information about the condition he had." That was a heart condition, and Gonzalez says the school was well aware of it.
In a timeline prepared by the school district, officials say when Cruz collapsed, they were advised by emergency operators over the phone not to administer CPR because Cruz was breathing and had a pulse.
There were two defibrillators in the building; neither were used. That's something Cruz's family and Senator Stephen Buoniconti say could have saved his life.
"Having a defibrillator is one of the best ways of bringing somebody back to life who has had their heart stopped suddenly," Buoniconti says.
Cruz's death is one of the reasons behind his new legislation to make sure every high school athletics coach is certified in CPR and the use of a defibrillator.
"A mandated policy statewide because what we've seen is that there have been major tragedies throughout the commonwealth on several occasions where young men and women have died suddenly participating in sports," he adds.
For Cruz's mother, it's something that won't bring back her son but she hopes her tragedy may prevent others from having to go through the tragedy of loosing a child. "They should make sure kids have good physical examinations and better equipment in schools and be more prepared for these kids to have a better life," Gonzalez says.
She is still waiting to hear the results of her son's autopsy and still has many unanswered questions by the school district about the day of her son's death.