Kayla Stanford should have been a senior at Ypsilanti High School this year, looking forward to graduation and college.

But she died in 2006, as a 12-year-old 7th grader, after collapsing during track practice at East Middle School. An undetected heart defect caused sudden cardiac arrest in the otherwise healthy athlete.

Tragic stories like Stanford's and the recent death of Fennville, Mich. high school basketball player Wes Leonard push the issue of undetected heart conditions to the public forefront.

According to a 2009 Michigan Department of Community Health report, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading killer of young athletes; and about 50 athletes died in 2010 due to undetected heart conditions that caused cardiac arrest, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

Now Stanford’s mother, Kelly Warren of Belleville has organized a 5K fundraiser Saturday at Ypsilanti High School in her daughter’s honor.

Warren hopes the race raises enough money to purchase an automated external defibrillator for a Michigan school that needs one. She said they range in price from about $900 to $1,500.

There was none on hand at the track the spring day day Stanford died in 2006. A defibrillator could have helped her daughter with a faster medical response.

Since Stanford’s death, Ypsilanti Public Schools increased the number of automated external defibrillators it keeps on hand, Warren said. Ypsilanti Public Schools spokesperson Emma Jackson said every school has an AED.

Stanford, a student athlete with a 4.0 grade point average, wanted to be a doctor, Warren said.

“She participated in other sports and had gotten a clean bill of health from the doctor,” Warren said. “But she was born with a heart defect.”

The undetected heart defect caused Stanford to faint during practice after running two miles. While being treated by paramedics, Stanford’s heart stopped.

According to theAmerican Heart Association, 250,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. About 7,000 are children.

The most effective treatment is defibrillation, which provides shocks to the heart with a defibrillator. While defibrillation is recommended within three to five minutes of cardiac arrest, many communities can’t provide those response times. Ninety-five percent of people will die when sudden cardiac arrest occurs.

However, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shocks to the heart within three to five minutes can bump the survival rate to almost 50 percent. NATA recommends athletic trainers from all schools should have an AED close at hand, and know how to use it.

Fulfilling that goal is part of Warren's purpose with The KAYLA foundation that she started in her daughter’s honor to raise money and awareness about undetected heart conditions in athletes.

“She would be proud,” Warren said.

The first Kayla Stanford Memorial 5K Walk/Run starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at Ypsilanti High School, 2095 Packard Road, in Ypsilanti. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the cost is $25.

Juliana Keeping covers general assignment and health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter