By Sara Wesche (HSI), Fri, 22 Nov 2013

We love learning about young people with the presence of mind and the courage to respond in an emergency. For 12-year-old Ted Featherstone of Stafford, Virginia, that moment of decision in September of this year meant a second chance at life for his Dad.

Ted learned CPR at a summer camp for his Boy Scout troop and, although he admits he was nervous, he did what he needed to do for his father. It’s a beautiful example of the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared.”

And even though Ted Featherstone asks that we not think of him as a hero, we happily admit that, well, we just have to.

Great job, Ted!

CPR Can Make the Holidays Unforgettable
Posted by Jason Williams (HSI) on Tue, Dec 24, 2013  

Whatever winter holiday is being celebrated at your place, you know that special holiday stories are usually an important part of the mix. This year, we’ve put together a few CPR rescue tales with a holiday theme. Some are a few years old, but all share the same essential message — the importance of a trained bystander in an emergency.

Grab your cup of cocoa and read on.

The Covington Reporter of Covington, Washington posted this story in February, 2012, when a Maple Valley resident came to the rescue of someone who usually teaches the rescuers herself.

Northshore Fire Department Fire Instructor (and CPR trainer!) Wendy Booth was saved by Matt Bill, a friend of Wendy’s who had been trained in CPR back in the ninth grade. Matt applied compressions while waiting for EMS to arrive after Wendy collapsed at a Christmas Day celebration in 2011.  EMS applied an AED and, after one shock, got Wendy’s heart started again.

According to the article:
“Although her heart had stopped, the chest compressions had kept the remaining oxygen in her blood circulating through her body, preventing both death and potentially devastating brain damage that can results from a lack of oxygen over an extended period of time.”


From our friends at the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, we learn of a volunteer firefighter hero named Nick Gerstel in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, whose Christmas dinner was interrupted for a lifesaving cause in 2012.

"Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest decrease 10% with each passing minute," Nick got the call that a man was having an SCA incident down the street from the Gerstel’s home, and he knew the importance of an immediate response:

"Survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest decrease 10% with each passing minute," said Gerstel during an interview after the incident. "We have an AED at the fire station, which is only a minute or two away. It was imperative to get it to the patient as quickly as possible."

Christmas night being a busy one for the area’s ambulance fleet, Nick asked his fellow responders at the firehouse to bring the AED and other needed equipment to the victim’s home. A nurse at the victim’s family dinner had started CPR as Nick arrived, so they worked together to keep the compressions going.

After a shock from the AED, the man began to breathe on his own once again.


DNAInfo New York reported a story in 2009 that shows a bartender can provide something far more valuable than just a refill and a sympathetic ear. Bartender Carlye Waxman came to the rescue on Christmas Eve that year when a patron collapsed on his bar stool.

After activating EMS and seeing another patron decline to perform CPR, Carlye stepped up. She was directed in the proper chest compression technique by the 911 operator.

After 20 compressions, the man began breathing on his own. Following the operator’s instructions, Carlye continued compressions until the paramedics arrived.

We especially love this quote from the intrepid barkeep:

“Waxman said she is now going to sign up for a CPR class. ‘It’s important and you never know when you are going to need it, the man could’ve died,’ she said.”

Our last story is a reminder that lifesaving skills can make the difference for ANY member of our families at the holidays, even our pets. 

According to a 2005 story from the Ottawa Citizen and posted on animal issues blog “Aboard Noah’s Blog”, two firefighters were on duty Christmas Day that year when they and their crew were called to the scene of a living room fire.

"After some CPR and emergency oxygen administration, some petting and reassurance, and a wrap in a blanket, Rosco the German-Shepherd/Labrador mix came back to life."

No one was home at the time, but a firefighter on the scene found the family’s dog inside. It seemed to be too late.

The dog’s finder gave the unresponsive animal to Firefighter John McGovern and Lieut. Ian MacKinnon.

“Mr. McGovern put it down in the snow and pumped on its chest, while Lieut. MacKinnon cupped his hands over the dog’s mouth and blew in air.

A dog has a heart and lungs, just the same as a person, and CPR is effective, they said.

‘Works the same way,’ Lieut. MacKinnon said.”

After some CPR and emergency oxygen administration, some petting and reassurance, and a wrap in a blanket, Rosco the German-Shepherd/Labrador mix came back to life.

We’ll give the last words in this story to Lieut. MacKinnon:

"We're firefighters and that's what we do," he said.

 
Gym Manager Saves Man's Life
Posted by: Alexandra Limon, Orange County Reporter

Tom Ingui, 75, feels a little weak and has a black eye but he's lucky he's alive.  Surveillance video shows Tom at the gym a few days ago, when he suddenly suffered a heart attack.

"I just collapsed as you can see face first, chipped a tooth and I had a complete cardiac arrest. My heart stopped beating altogether," said Tom.

"I was just moping and out of nowhere this guys just collapsed on me," said Noel Basilides, the assistant manager at Anytime Fitness in Riverside.

Tom blacked out for about  9 minutes during that time, Noel and another gym member - jumped into action and saved Tom's life.

"This guy was like foaming at his mouth. It's weird, he was foaming at his mouth, but he wasn't breathing. Nothing," said Noel.

Noel performed CPR and then used a defibrillator to shock tom and re-start his heart.  In the video you can see tom's whole body lift off the ground.

"What's really crazy is I took my AED, CPR class one week ago. Which is really crazy ok," remarked Noel.

Another gym member, named Jesse, also helped to keep tom alive.  "It was probably one of the scariest things I've ever witnessed in my life," said Noel.

Tom is extremely grateful the two men saved his life, "They were amazing I found out later what they did and they really saved my life 032024 I have two new brothers.  Actually sons because they're very young guys," he said.

Noel adds that a week ago he never would have thought he'd save someone's life. Now he thinks every business should have an AED in case of emergencies.


Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/story/23798250/gym-manager-saves-mans-life-riverside-anytime-fitness-heart-attack-cpr#ixzz2osmIdtJL