Louis J. Acompora Heart Saver Award bestowed upon several who saved lives

Peter Skura has no recollection of the days leading up to Sept. 10, when he was driving on Daly Road in Huntington and suffered cardiac arrest.

But his wife, Janice Skura, remembers the horror vividly. She saw her husband go limp and jumped into the driver's seat to press the brake pedal and pull the car to the side of the road.

She then started screaming for help.

That is when “an angel showed up,” said Janice Skura, 65, of Huntington.

Kevin Klis saw Janice Skura shouting for help and saw Peter Skura, 64, unconscious and without a pulse. He began performing CPR until emergency medical technicians arrived, who shocked Peter Skura’s heart twice with an automated external defibrillator and were able to restore a pulse.

Klis was among the recipients Saturday of the Louis J. Acompora Heart Saver Award — a commendation given to those who aid cardiac rescues in everyday life. The honor is named after Louis Acompora, who was 14 when he was hit in the chest with a lacrosse ball during a Northport High School lacrosse game that triggered a syndrome that leads to cardiac arrest. Louis died as a result.

His parents, John and Karen Acompora, created the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation in the wake of his death to raise awareness and education surrounding the importance of AEDs. His death inspired Louis’ Law, which was signed into law in 2001 and requires all New York State public schools to have defibrillators in buildings and at sporting events.

“We want to bring awareness that saves lives,” Karen Acompora said Saturday at the foundation’s 22nd annual lacrosse jamboree, held this year at Northport High School.

John Acompora said awareness is responsible for at least 119 lives saved — though the true number of his son’s influence is incalculable.

Heart Saver awards were presented to Deanna Culen, Nicole Ercolani, Lisa Culen, Jen Henick and Northport Fire Department Chief Dan Cross and Assistant Chief Tom Smalling. They jumped into action to save a stable hand at Sagamore Hills Stables on May 18 who went into cardiac arrest.

And Dr. Jonathan Weinstein, 50, of Dix Hills, was also a recipient of the honor. A cardiologist at North Suffolk Cardiology, Weinstein was watching his son play in a soccer tournament at SUSA Complex in Central Islip on March 9, when he heard a commotion.

Chris Baars, who was refereeing a game, suddenly collapsed.

“I felt dizzy and I don’t even remember falling down,” said Baars, 60, of St. James. “The next thing I know there’s five people looking over me.”

Between the moment Baars fell down and the moment he woke up, Weinstein started CPR and administered the AED, shocking Baars four times before an ambulance arrived.

Upon accepting his Heart Saver award, Weinstein called the Acomporas “the true heroes” for their work raising awareness following their son’s death.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ

Joseph Ostapiuk covers the Town of Oyster Bay and the City of Glen Cove. He joined Newsday in 2023 after spending more than six years at the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com.