A recent AHA Scientific Statement calls lay people who do CPR, heroes! Why? Because acting quickly and performing CPR can mean the difference between life and death for the victim and can be traumatic for the layperson performing it.
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen each year in the United States.
The Stephany family of Fox Chapel, a suburb near Pittsburgh, knows this to be true. Their youngest member, Max, 11, was unconscious inside their home. Parents Rob and Molly Stephany tried to wake him up. However, Max did not respond and was not breathing.
Their middle child, Eliott, a lifeguard at Fox Chapel Racquet Club, had recently been certified in CPR and began performing it on his younger brother with the assistance of a 911 dispatcher.
This story has a happy ending because Eliott acted quickly. EMT arrived within minutes and transported Max to the hospital. The Chain of Survival was in place and worked.
Recognized as heroes, the local council presented proclamations to those involved in the lifesaving event. You can read the entire story here.
The Stephany family story is a stark reminder that CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you’ll most likely be trying to save the life of a loved one because about 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.
Learn Hands-Only CPR and pass along the knowledge.