Knowing CPR can make you smiley, too! :)
Do you have an American Red Cross story to tell? Maybe you’ve donated blood. Or taken a CPR class. Or been grateful someone else did.
I’ve used skills I gained in an American Red Cross class twice, and been poised to several other times. Even though I’ve been scared each time, I was so glad I knew how to do SOMETHING in those situations. There is nothing worse than seeing someone in a critical moment and standing by helplessly. It’s awful.
The first time I chanted ‘Airway, Breathing, Circulation’ (the ABC’s of First Aid I learned years ago) was in a restaurant. A toddler started choking on a piece of candy the family had grabbed as they exited. I was just coming in and saw the moment it went from `she’s okay’ to `oh my God’. I’m pretty sure I did everything wrong, looking back. It was like it all went into slow motion. I took her from her parents and tried to sweep the candy out of her mouth first. When that didn’t work, I turned her over, angled her slightly upside down over my arm and whacked her back. That dislodged the candy and I was able to sweep the candy out. It still makes me a bit shaky to this day how fast it all happened. I handed the girl back to the parents without a word exchanged. I often wonder why they let me just take their daughter from them. I didn’t say anything to the parents—I think you are supposed to say `I know First Aid, do you need help’ or something official sounding like that.
The second time everything I didn’t know about First Aid rushed through my head was when I happened upon what I thought was a car accident. It was actually a man having a heart attack and his wife had steered the car to the shoulder of the road when he lost consciousness. I was the first person on the scene who had any training, so with the help of some guys that had stopped, we got the man out of the car. I felt freaked out at the prospect of actually performing CPR on someone. I was trying to determine if he actually needed CPR by listening for a heartbeat and assessing his breathing when a nurse showed up on scene. I was happy to hand off my Red Cross pocket mask to her.
And then there is the time my child choked on food, sitting right at the kitchen table. After trying to cough and not be able to, I saw the panic cross her face as she realized she was choking. It was horrible. Horrible. Luckily, she cleared the bite without my help. But what if she couldn’t have? I don’t know that I would’ve done it perfectly, but I’m very glad that I would’ve known enough to probably save her life.
Most people (especially parents) want to know basic First Aid. But our lives get busy and (thankfully) our day to day activities don’t call for life-saving skills. But what if you did know enough to help someone? What if you were scared and nervous, but you were the person that knew at least something to do, instead of watching helplessly in a situation where the knowledge of a few basic skills would make a difference?
If you would like to learn First Aid, CPR, or even know a babysitter-aged kid who would like to take the Red Cross Babysitter course, the American Red Cross is offering a discount to classes in the Denver area. Click to go to the Mile High Chapter of the Red Cross to look at course listings and sign up. Enter the code ‘BLOGGER’ to receive a 15% discount on classes!
There is never going to be a perfect time to take it in a busy life. And you’ll never regret having the knowledge you will gain from a course. But you may be very glad someday that you do.
Do you have a Red Cross story to share? Leave a comment, or better yet, post it on your blog and leave a link in the comments here. Feel free to share the discount code with your readers!
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You are so right, our lives get so busy that we let such important things like learning CPR and First Aid take a back seat. I remember when my son was in 3rd grade and some parents joined students and teachers for an outdoor lunch. My son was sitting next to his friend when he popped a grape in his mouth and then started to gag and panic. Thank goodness our teahcer who was sitting beside him and he knew exactly what to do because he had taken a CPR class. This was several years ago and I told myself then how important it was to get my rear up and go take a class. Sometimes we need a second reminder, thanks for that.