Former Miss South Carolina Sarah Kay Wrenn and Upstate nonprofit leader Lekesha Benson have received the American Heart Association's “Heart Hero Award” for helping advance South Carolina's Smart Heart Act, a new law aimed at improving schools' preparedness for cardiac emergencies.

The two received the association's Heart Hero Award, which recognizes individuals whose leadership and advocacy have advanced heart health and cardiac emergency preparedness across the state.

Signed into law earlier this year, the Smart Heart Act requires public schools across South Carolina to establish cardiac emergency response plans and ensure automated external defibrillators — or AEDs — are accessible at school athletic venues. The law is intended to improve schools' ability to respond quickly when sudden cardiac arrest occurs.

As Miss South Carolina, Wrenn made passage of the legislation a central part of her platform, working with lawmakers, educators and medical professionals to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest. She testified in support of the bill and now serves as the American Heart Association's Upstate Heart Ball development director.

"Knowing this law will help protect more students, teachers and families across South Carolina is the greatest reward of all," Wrenn said in a statement.

Benson became an advocate after her son, Javaris "Vari" Benson, died from sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball on a school campus in 2017. According to the American Heart Association, no bystander CPR was performed and an AED was not used before emergency responders arrived. She later founded The NOLA Network to promote CPR and AED training, expand awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and encourage preventive heart screenings for young people.

"My hope is that the Smart Heart Act means fewer families experience that loss," Benson said. "By equipping schools with the training, planning and resources needed to act quickly, this legislation will help save lives."

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death among student-athletes and can occur without warning. According to the American Heart Association, immediate CPR and rapid access to an AED can significantly improve a person's chance of survival. The Smart Heart Act establishes a statewide framework intended to help schools respond more effectively during those emergencies.