On July 14, 2016, a seemingly healthy teenage boy named Steve Smith suddenly collapsed on a baseball field in Manassas, Virginia.
The team immediately called 9-1-1. Fortunately, a fellow teammate and lifeguard name Paul Dow had CPR training knew what to do.
When Paul checked over the collapsed boy, he discovered that Steve had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. He began chest compressions and continued them until rescue personnel arrived to airlift Steve to a nearby hospital.
Fox 5 in Washington DC reported that Steve made a full recovery in just three days! Without CPR, Steve might not have survived this emergency. It’s stories like these that motivate us at the Response Institute to train as many people as possible and to keep spreading the word about the importance of CPR.
Start CPR Training as Early as Age Nine!
Even if a child isn’t strong enough to perform CPR yet, start their training as early as age nine, which is when children become old enough to retain the training. The more practice a child gets over the years, the better prepared they’ll be to handle what can be a very frightening emergency scenario.
Why CPR and AED Training is Important
All too often no one knows what to do when a child collapses from sudden cardiac arrest. The more people that learn CPR, the more lives our community will be able to save. And now that mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing isn’t really necessary, hopefully more people than ever will be willing to lend a hand.
The Life You Save Will Likely Be a Family Member
If you learn CPR, odds are that the life you save will be a member of your own family or at the very least, someone that you know personally. The more adults, teenagers, and even children that know how to perform CPR and use an AED, the more likely they’ll know how to react in an emergency situation.
People Responsible for Children Should Learn CPR
For schools, team sports, and other group activities, training staff, teachers, coaches, and volunteers is imperative. Trained staff can make the difference between life and death. Without his friend, Steve’s story might have had a very different ending.
See the Story of Steve’s Heroic Rescue
You can watch the full story of how Steve was saved by his teenage friend Paul in this video from Fox 5 or check out the video story below:
Great Job Paul!
We tip our hat to Pau Dow for stepping up in the face of danger and helping his friend Steve. And congratulations to Steve Smith for getting a second chance at life. Make the most of it!
The Response Institute has made it our mission to teach others how to save lives with CPR and first aid training. Contact us to learn more about what is involved in CPR training and certification or go sign up for one of our CPR or first aid classes today!
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