The Friend Family

Laura and Luther Friend are pictured here with their youngest daughter, Katherine.  This is the first family photo the Friends have taken in over 7 years, since the death of their 12 year old daughter, Sarah, in July 2004. The Friends could not imagine taking a family photo with one of their family members missing. The Friends know that Sarah would want them to continue in life, be happy, have hope and live. One day, they will all be reunited with their 12 year old daughter in heaven.

Laura Friend is the program coordinator for Project ADAM Texas (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s memory) at Cook Children’s Medical Center, an initiative aimed towards education and implementation of school AED cardiac emergency programs in the state of Texas. 

Since Sarah’s death, the Friends have made enormous strides to prevent sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults.  They created a Texas nonprofit, The Sarah Friend Heart Foundation, which has donated 62 life-saving defibrillators (AEDs) in Texas and trained hundreds of youth and adults in CPR/AED usage.  Laura went on to help form and spearhead a national nonprofit organization called Parent Heart Watch that now has over 300 advocates in the U.S. and seven countries.  Laura Friend was a Fort Worth Business Press 2012 Health Care Hero.  Luther is a Grocery Manager for Albertsons LLC and Katherine will start her senior year at Birdville High School in August.