In honor of National Heart Awareness Month, Jim Spaulding, of Cardiac Care & Safety, Inc., sits down with Tim DeMoss, of WFIL AM560, to share information regarding CPR training and stories that reaffirm why CPR training and an on-site Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can make a huge difference during an emergency.
Let’s overview some safety successes that the two discuss during this segment.
The First Louis Seveno Foundation AED
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“Have you ever noticed after you buy your car, everyone else is driving the same car as you?” Caller and heart attack survivor, Steve O’Bott from Montgomery County, PA recalls how frequently he comes across AEDs now that he’s noticed their existence.
At 48 years old, Steve went into sudden cardiac death on a high school basketball court. Luckily, there was an AED within feet, the batteries had just been changed and two teammates were trained to use the device.
Jim remarks, “There are several parts of this story that make it amazing. My brother, Kyle, and a boy named Louis, were two of three young boys who passed away from cardiac arrest in Pennsylvania within a 6-month period.”
In February 2001, Louis and Kyle’s stories were published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The news of these tragedies inspired the creation of the Louis Seveno Foundation, an organization committed to sports safety and the implementation of AEDs in schools and on the athletic field.
The AED that shocked Steve’s heart back to a normal rhythm was the first AED ever donated by the Louis Seveno Foundation. Tim adds, “There are several steps here” that made this outcome a positive one — an on-site AED and a group of fast acting individuals that had training.
Chubby Bunny
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At Cardiac Care & Safety, Inc. Jim works with a variety of health care industries that require training in Pennsylvania every two years; however, he also offers training to groups who want to be prepared in emergency situations.
Jim recollects a story involving his wife’s cousin, Emily, a young boy, and a game called, “chubby bunny.”
“Emily was at church and a boy was playing this game where you stuff marshmallows in your mouth and say, ‘I’m a chubby bunny.’ The kid inhales a marshmallow and begins choking. The father has no idea what to do and sticks his fingers down the child’s throat.”
Instead of pulling out the sticky marshmallow, he pulls out his child’s two front teeth! Luckily, Emily had been trained and was able to perform abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, to dislodge the marshmallow.
Jim remembers his visit to the church a month later, “I went to do a CPR class there after, 80 people showed up.” In fact, that seems to be a common trend; “more likely than we’d like to admit, we get calls from organizations looking for training after an emergency has taken place where no one was trained.”
Training for Boy Scouts & Medical Professionals
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Basic training does pay off! Tim remembers when his 10-year-old son, Toby, saved his choking daughter after attending a Cardiac Care & Safety, Inc. basic first aid training course with his Boy Scout troop.
Tim comments, “Why not learn while you are young? You can be an ambassador for others to learn early on how to be prepared.” Jim agrees, “Without training or an on-site AED your chances are not great.”
Jim and Tim wrap up this segment with a final story that lead to a man’s full recovery.
Like Steve’s courtside experience, an over-exerted man went into cardiac arrest while playing hockey. Luckily, there was an on-site AED and a teammate who was medically trained to provide CPR for several minutes until emergency responders arrived. Read the full story here.
Training and the on-site AED make a huge impact during these kinds of situations. Jim adds, “Every minute a defibrillator is not on the scene during cardiac arrest, the chance of life decreases by 10%. The national average response time for an ambulance is 10 minutes; you do the math.”
Contact Cardiac Care & Safety, Inc. Today
Since 1998, Jim has helped thousands of businesses, organizations and individuals in the Tri-State area complete safety training. Whether you are Boy Scout, nervous mom, or an individual that requires mandated training, Cardiac Care & Safety can help you remain prepared.