It’s one of those stories that you never think will happen to you.
Howard Abravanel was playing basketball in Balboa Park – something he’d been doing for fifteen years – when he collapsed on the sidelines. His teammates thought he might be overheated, so they gave him some space and tried to wake him up. It wasn’t long before they realized he was in serious trouble.
Dr. Rob Feinfield had just arrived at the park with his son when someone ran up to him and told him there was a man down on the basketball courts. Dr. Feinfield didn’t even stop to think before he reacted, rushing to Howard’s side and quickly recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest. Dr. Feinfield performed CPR on Howard until the paramedics arrived.
Thanks to his experience as an Emergency Room physician, Dr. Feinfield was able to react quickly, ultimately providing the heroic efforts that saved Howard’s life. And while Howard was certainly lucky that Dr. Feinfield was in the park that day, it doesn’t take a trained physician to administer lifesaving CPR in a time of need.
In fact, you don’t need any prior medical training to learn how to perform CPR – anyone can take a class to become certified in this important life saving technique. The American Heart Association estimates that 70% of Americans would feel helpless if they found themselves in a situation where CPR was needed. Given that 88% of cardiac arrests occur within the home, learning CPR could be the difference between your loved one living or dying.
Watch Howard and Dr. Feinfield’s amazing story and see how they’re both doing today. You never know when lifesaving skills will come in handy.
Want more life saving skills? The Response Institute offers CPR and First Aid classes in Richmond, Raleigh & Durham.
Need to train your team? We offer group discounts and come to your location. Contact us for more information.