cpr

Hero Season in Central Illinois

wesleylind Leave a comment

It’s far too easy to get swept up in bad news these days. Not that there isn’t a fair share of it out there, but there’s also a whole lot of good people doing great things that you don’t hear about.

You might have noticed that throughout the Central Illinois Region, multiple Red Cross Chapters are gearing up for their local hero events that celebrate the extraordinary acts of local, ordinary citizens. This year’s “March is Red Cross Month” (it’s right around the corner) campaign will center around honoring the everyday heroes who help the Red Cross accomplish its humanitarian mission – the volunteers, financial supporters, blood donors, community partners, and class takers.

So with all that hero stuff in mind – it seems like the ideal time to share a story that was recently passed along to me about a few Shelbyville residents who used Red Cross training to literally sustain and save a life…

Several months ago, a Shelbyville high school basketball team was on its way back home from an away game when the head coach noticed one of his players slouched over in his seat. After calling out to him several times and not getting a response, he and the other players, coaches, and cheerleaders on the bus realized the student wasn’t sleeping, nor was he breathing.

That’s when one of the team’s assistant coaches and another 16-year-old player leapt into action to save the day. These weren’t just any individuals, they happened to be Red Cross trained individuals in lifeguarding, CPR/AED, and First Aid. The two men laid the unconscious player onto the floor of the bus and began preforming lifesaving skills – the assistant coach gave rescue breathes while the 16-year-old gave chest compressions…for 15 minutes until the bus reached a hospital!

By the time they got there, the unconscious player was breathing again thanks to the efforts of two men over a 15-minute span who knew exactly what to do. Professional responders were able to attend to him and he’s alive today because what happened on that bus.

Simply put – that is why the thousands of Central Illinoisans who take Red Cross lifesaving/preparedness classes are heroes!

So the next time you see a piece of depressing or distressing news, just remember, there’s somebody out there at that very moment doing something extraordinary for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do.

Feel Good Friday: Real Life ARC Story

erinhuntmiller Leave a comment

I know I have mentioned before how much I am digging the new RedCross.org, but I am going to say it again.  This new Real Life Stories section is my favorite!

Here is a recent submission called… Taking a CPR/First Aid class made me a lifesaver for my family

I became a Red Cross CPR/First Aid Trainer to help out the Private School I work at in certification for all Teachers and support staff. Little did I know after becoming a Trainer when my Grandson was 7 days old he stopped breathing. My Daughter yelled from her room, “he’s not breathing”. I ran to her room and watched myself bring him back to life. He spent the next 7 days in the hospital. But my Grandson, Ronnie, is now 4 years old and the light of my life. Taking the class to help others turned out to be the lifesaver of my family.

If you are not trained, then please click here to remedy that!

Mouth to Mouth…

erinhuntmiller Leave a comment

I have many internal conversations in this mighty brain of mine… I thought I would share one with you because it all started with my Red Cross CPR class.

I walked in the chapter feeling comfy in my casual Friday jeans, sucked down my last swig of coffee and I was ready to roll! (After a breath mint, I mean no one wants to smell coffee breath when you are rolling them around on the ground.)

It was CPR recertification day. I got to enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of ARC communications … AND I got to wear jeans, did I mention that already?  That is a big deal in my work world.

My fabulous Red Cross instructor went through the ins and outs of rescue breathing, first aid and chest compressions.  We had a great time and the training is pretty awesome.  Interactive and informative. I walked away from the class knowing the skills to save a life.

Skills to save a life…

That phrase proverbially stopped me in my tracks.  I realized I don’t EVER want to use these skills.  If I was in a situation where someone collapsed, I would honestly rather someone else do CPR. Is that bad to say?  I could be the girl that called 9-1-1 or kept bystanders back with my mad bouncer skills, but to have someone’s life in my hands? That’s intense.

Wait… (my mind responded to itself) what if there is no one else there? What if the super hero medical professional was not on the scene? What if it was just me and the unconscious person?

In the realm of ARC communications, I get to hear all the stories from the field.  The people on the front lines delivering service and the people who use their skills to save a life.  There seems to be a common theme in their recounts of the CPR event… I didn’t even have to think about it.  Everything in my CPR class just came to the front of my mind.

You know if they can do it then I can do it, too.

Moral of the story?  Just learn it. I don’t think anyone really wants to use the skills, but there is a peace of mind and sense of empowerment you get in knowing you are prepared.

http://www.redcross.org/takeaclass