Both the main and auxiliary gyms at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High were packed for the Anyone Can Help Awareness Fair on Thursday night.

The event, which was hosted by ZOLL Cardiac Management Solutions, was a celebration of the individuals whose quick thinking saved Davis’ life when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a football practice at C.W. Longer Elementary on Sept. 18 and a call to action — that CPR classes can save lives.

Jen Davis, Spencer’s mother, said that it has been a “crazy” two months since she witnessed her son lying motionless on the field.

“It’s hard to believe that two months ago we didn’t know what Spencer’s outcome would be, and here we are. He was diagnosed with commotio cordis, he is going to make a full recovery,” Jen Davis said. “We’re here to raise awareness and make changes.”

Hollidayburg Area Junior High cheer coach Brittany Hoover has her blood pressure checked by Saint Francis University physicians assistant student Olivia Kiray. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

District medical trainer Amy Smearman intervened with an automatic external defibrillator (AED) device after getting a call from football coach Homer DeLattre that Davis had collapsed on the field, which was a critical step.

AEDs shock the heart back into normal rhythm during a cardiac event after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Pennsylvania is one of 30 states that do not require AED devices in public schools, so Spencer Davis said he wants to use his own experience as a springboard to promote the life-saving importance of publicly accessible AEDs through the nonprofit Spencer Davis Foundation.

“Other schools just don’t have (AEDs), so our goal is to make changes and provide awareness and get AEDs and CPR training out there for people,” Jen Davis said.

According to Jen Davis, there is a three-minute window that begins after CPR is first administered to restart the patient’s heart with a defibrillator before they experience neurological deficits.

A number of medical vendors and organizations were on hand to answer questions and educate. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“So our plan is getting more AEDs that are more accessible,” Jen Davis said.

Spencer is making steady progress in recovery, Jen Davis said, and is getting back to his normal routine.

Spencer Davis said that one change will be a switch from football.

“(Baseball) has always been my main thing, football is just something to stay busy, for conditioning,” Spencer Davis said, adding he pitches and plays first base.

According to Spencer Davis, it was “awesome” seeing the strong turnout from his senior high classmates.

Gabriella Brown (left), 13, learns about CPR from fellow Hollidaysburg Area seventh grader and CPR instructor Abby Montrella, 12. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“After seeing what I went through, I’m just happy they’re all here and learning (about CPR),” Spencer Davis said.

The Hollidaysburg community has been a source of strength for the entire Davis family in the two months since the event, Jen Davis said.

“It’s like you can’t go anywhere without somebody saying, ‘How are you feeling … we’ve been praying for you’ just so many people,” Jen Davis said. “People have just been amazing with their love toward him.”

More than 200 people attended the event, which featured four different food trucks, raffle baskets and representatives from local health care providers like UPMC Altoona and Conemaugh Nason.

Senior director of global marketing Karen Jasmin said that ZOLL’s Anything Can Happen. Anyone Can Help. campaign aims to help communities get prepared with AEDs and CPR training.

The Hollidaysburg Area High School Drumline performs as part of the night's activities. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

According to Jasmin, Davis’ successful outcome was the result of the people nearby having completed CPR training and had the skills to step in. “It was a perfect scenario.”

“We do a lot of training so word keeps getting out, and that people are prepared,” she said.

ZOLL donated AED devices to both the district and the Spencer Davis Foundation and offered free CPR instruction during the event.

Hollidaysburg athletic director and football coach Homer DeLattre said that the event’s turnout was “unbelievable,” noting the student attendance and representatives from several community groups.

DeLattre played a critical role in the moment when Davis collapsed and now advocates for school districts to adopt emergency action plans similar to the version at Hollidaysburg that enabled the immediate response to Davis’ cardiac arrest.

Jen, Spencer, Dave and Addison Davis listen to the story of Spencer's resuscitation. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

“You teach the plan, you go over the plan, and you go over it with your coaches. You never think that you have to use it, but then when you do it’s off muscle memory,” DeLattre said.

The event was capped off with a presentation honoring the first responders, health care workers and district staff whose intervention was essential to Davis’ recovery.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin addressed Davis through a prerecorded video at the end of the ceremony.

Hamlin experienced a Sudden Cardiac Arrest during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023, where his life was saved by a promptly deployed AED device and CPR.

Hamlin, and Davis, suffered from a rare condition called commotio cordis, which is a disruption of normal cardiac rhythm caused by an impact to the chest during a brief period of the heartbeat cycle, which is often fatal.

“I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you will come back from this stronger … you’re an inspiration to your community and everyone around you,” Hamlin told Davis during the video, which was shown on a projector screen during the Heros Ceremony presentation.

The western Pennsylvania native also acknowledged Davis’ football teammates, saying that their continued support is essential to Davis’ healing process.

“The support of my team is what enabled the biggest comeback in my entire life,” Hamlin said.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.

Spencer Davis presents an AED on behalf of Zoll to Hollidaysburg Area High School principal Dr. Maureen Letcher and head football coach and athletic director Homer DeLattre. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Hollidaysburg Area High School varsity assistant coach Rodney Chism give Spencer Davis a big hug following the Heroes Ceremony. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski