Cardiac arrest can happen anytime, anywhere, and the actions taken in the first few minutes can save a life. More than 350,000 people in the U.S., including 23,000 children, experience cardiac arrest each year, according to research from the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone, everywhere. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially when performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival according to the press release.
The release went on to say that, to help build a Nation of Lifesavers, the American Heart Association is providing CPR in Schools® With First Aid Training Kits to Mahoning Valley high schools. The initiative is supported by funding from the Mahoning Valley Medical Society Alliance. The first kit was delivered to Lowellville Local School District. The Heart Association will gift CPR kits to four additional local schools in coming weeks.
“Thanks to the support of the Mahoning Valley Medical Society Alliance, we are able to add hundreds of students to the Nation of Lifesavers in the Mahoning Valley,” said Shelley Webber, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio chapter of the American Heart Association. “When more people know how to perform CPR, they are better prepared to respond in an emergency and help save lives. We are excited to continue expanding CPR education throughout our community.”
Ohio law requires high school students to receive CPR instruction before graduation, including Hands-Only CPR and awareness of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The Heart Association’s CPR in Schools® With First Aid Training Kit helps schools meet the requirement by providing hands-on practice with manikins. Because the kits are reusable, they can train hundreds of students over multiple years.
“Giving schools the ability to train their students in this important life-saving skill will have an impact that reaches far beyond the school’s campus,” said Deb Evan, Immediate Past President of the Mahoning Valley Medical Society Alliance. “CPR is a civic duty. You don’t need medical training to learn CPR; you need knowledge, courage, and the willingness to act. Heroism is not limited to uniforms, it’s everyday people stepping up for others.”
To learn more about Hands-Only CPR, visit cpr.heart.org. To learn more about local American Heart Association events, visit heart.org/Ohio.
