Life Happens, Learn CPR

You enter your favorite French bistro with your friends on a Saturday night and are quickly seated at a quaint table right next to a window with a fabulous view of Chicago nightlife. Your waitress pours you a glass of water and gives you a few minutes to look at the menu while she runs to the back room to find your group a bottle of wine. Your best friend cracks a joke about the man across the room that looks like George Clooney and everyone at the table bursts out laughing. All of sudden, a man at the table next to yours collapses head first into his walnut salad. Everyone in the restaurant realizes that the man needs help but no one is trained in CPR. Your table watches in horror, unable to assist in anyway but to flag down a waiter and call 9-1-1. Later, you learn that the man did not survive.

Many may think that the probability of something like this occurring is relatively unlikely, but it was a reality for Nicholas Swain. While catering an event, a man collapsed and died before the ambulance was able to get to the location which was only a couple of blocks away from a hospital. Nicholas and his coworkers from Blue Plate, a catering company, decided to take the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago CPR course to be prepared for this type of incident.

CPR and First Aid are life saving skills that everyone young or old should have, because emergency incidents can occur at any time. On March 19th the Red Cross’s Save-A-Life event offered free CPR and First Aid classes throughout the nation. The event was in honor of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in the head during a congressional rally in Tucson, Arizona. After the initial hit, her intern Daniel Hernandez provided first aid assistance and saved her life.

On Save-A-Life Saturday more than 11,000 individuals were trained. Like Nicholas and his colleagues, they also realized the importance of being prepared.

Nicholas and the catering staff come into contact with a variety of people and the probability of an incident where the use of CPR for emergency assistance is high. When working in the hospitality industry being able to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver can safe a life. According to a report conducted by the Center for Disease Control in the U.S. 60% of choking in children ages 0-14 was related to food. Food related choking incidents can occur anywhere from the home to a restaurant. It is important for restaurant, catering, and other hospitality industry staff to be able to perform procedures such as the Heimlich to prevent choking.

Being prepared can save lives, whether it is from learning how to prevent a fire to rescue support through CPR, the key is to be prepared. We encourage everyone to take a CPR class and to visit the prepared section on our website chicagoredcross.org .

Take action and learn CPR like Nicholas, his co-workers at Blue Plate, and the 11,000people who dedicated their time on Save-A-Life Saturday. Next time a person starts choking or collapses it may be up to you to save their life. Be ready. Be prepared.

Written By: Lauren Snyder and Erica Serna

Take a Class in Honor of National CPR/AED Awareness Week!

The sun is shining and the birds are chirping which means one thing…it’s National CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillation) Awareness Week! According to the American Heart Association, effective bystander CPR when provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival. The American Red Cross offers a wide range of CPR/AED training classes that will prepare you for emergency situations. So, brush up on your disco and get ready to rock chest compressions to “Stayin’ Alive” while learning how to save a life.

The Red Cross not only offers courses on learning life saving skills; it also offers courses on how to teach others these vital skills. Last week, I stopped by a “Lay Responder First Aid and CPR/AED Instructor” class. The people participating not only were already Red Cross certified, but they were becoming certified to teach others. I walked into the room, where a man named Jason was practicing teaching the first steps for Emergency Assistance. I sat down at a big conference table that was so littered with pamphlets, instructor’s binders, and practice mannequins you could hardly see the surface. The first thing that ran through my mind was, “Wow. These people are investing quite a bit of time to learn all this information in order to teach it to others.”

Jason’s fellow participants in the class acted as his students, and he instructed them in tandem with a video. After he was done, the instructor and group gave him feedback on ways to improve and what they thought he nailed. Jason works at St. Augustine College teaching a variety of classes. When I asked him why he was here taking an instructor’s course today, he responded with, “[The college] needed an English speaking instructor for the students, and I was more than willing to become certified.” Kudos to him and his fellow participants for taking on the job of teaching others how to become Red Cross certified.

Sign up for a class this week, and get 15% off the course fee in honor of CPR/AED Awareness Week! Head to www.chicagoredcross.org/takeaclass and enter coupon code: CPRAEDWEEK!

Have you already taken a class? Then tell us, have you ever used your training in your day-to-day life? We’d love to hear any stories you have! Have an excellent CPR/AED Awareness Week!

A New Chicago Volunteer's Story

In 2008, I took my first class at the Grand Rapids, Michigan, chapter of the American Red Cross. Hurricane Katrina had come and gone, but the feeling of helplessness I had experienced was still fresh in my mind. "I'll be ready for the next one," I thought, as images of myself as a bedraggled aid worker saving lives at ground zero of the next big disaster flashed through my head.

I think that's how a lot of people find their way to the Red Cross: with hopes of participating in humanitarian campaigns in exotic locales. And while their intentions are noble, there's more to this organization than feeding children in third world countries or sheltering evacuees in disaster-affected regions.

Does the Red Cross do those things? Yes, but there's much more to it.

By adhering to the motto, "Think Globally, Act Locally," Red Cross chapters strive to take care of those in immediate need at a local level. Thousands of chapters across the country focusing on their own neighborhoods - that's how the American Red Cross truly fulfills its mission.

No, I never ended up traveling to a major disaster as part of a Red Cross team. That doesn't mean it won't happen some day, but until that time comes, I've had the opportunity to do so much more. Instead of focusing on disaster response, I became a first aid/CPR instructor. Why wait around for the next big one when there are people right here that need me (and you!) right now?

Teaching classes has its benefits. I get to practice speaking in front of a group and test my jokes, for example, but the best part is knowing that my contribution could help someone - even save a life. It's incredibly rewarding.

And through the inconveniences of relocating from Michigan to Chicago, starting a new job and getting myself acclimated to the city took my attentions away from volunteering for a few months, I've found my way back and look forward to working with such a large (and busy) chapter.

For now, I'm satisfied with first aid/CPR classes, but there are opportunities aplenty to try other things. A new volunteer can easily find their niche here, which is one of the greatest aspects of helping out at the Red Cross.

I urge anyone that's looking for a way to spend some time giving back to the community to consider the Red Cross. Once this organization gets in your blood, you'll want to keep giving back.

If you've somehow found your way to this blog without reviewing the Chicago Red Cross home page, check out our Chart of Opportunities to see what you can do to help out.

Don't see anything you like? Give us a call, tell us what you can do for the ARGC and I bet we can make it happen.

Blended Learning a Success

Stacey Patrick, a student at DePaul and the mother of a newborn baby girl, opens her backpack filled to the brim with books, papers and binders. She opens to a fresh notebook page and begins to take notes on the pamphlets her CPR instructor, Courtney Barber, gave to her upon entering the classroom. It’s a brisk Tuesday afternoon, and Stacey will be finishing up her Red Cross training with a review of the skills she has acquired through a blended learning course.

The blended course Stacey took teaches adult and child CPR, general first aid, and automated external defibrillator (AED) essentials online with a classroom skills session review. In this class, Courtney will walk Stacey through a few videos and hands on demonstrations before testing her skills. Upon asking Stacey why she wanted to become certified in these skills she replied that “it would give my resume a boost when I begin looking for teaching jobs.” She is hoping to secure a job in the suburbs teaching high school biology.

Blended learning was a great fit for Stacey’s busy life since she had the freedom to complete the online courses at her own discretion. The next step was to devote a few hours one day to participate in the classroom skills performance where she passed with flying colors and walked away with a certification card. For more information on how you can take a class online or in the classroom, visit www.chicagoredcross.org/takeaclass.

Become a Safer Sitter this Summer!

I have been babysitting for more than ten years. I began babysitting my three younger sisters when I was about 13 years old, and I continued to babysit throughout my college years. I can still remember the first little girls I babysat, D.D., Mary and Abby. I used to have so much fun with them playing games, watching movies, and ‘vegging’ out all night before I put them to bed. They went to my grade school, and their parents were friends with mine, so it made sense to have me babysit these girls.

I loved it. I loved every minute of babysitting with them. I got older, and soon the oldest daughter could watch the younger siblings, but I began babysitting for other children. It wasn’t until I was 16 and in health class that I took a CPR/First Aid class. I learned all the skills necessary to respond in an emergency situation … three years after I had first begun babysitting.

I think to myself now- how useful these skills would have been when I was babysitting at 13. I would have felt much more comfortable as a babysitter, and I am sure the parents would have as well. It is without a doubt that they trusted me, but I am sure as parents they would have felt a lot safer if they knew I had some kind of First Aid or CPR training.

I know I would have loved to take a babysitting class when I was younger, so that I could develop skills as a babysitter. It would have given me something to do during free time in the summer, and it would have made me feel a lot safer as a sitter.

And Parents wouldn’t you love for your children to take a babysitting (and CPR/First Aid) training course so that you can feel a sense of ease when you let them watch their siblings or sit for a friend’s child?

This summer American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is offering Babysitter BootCamps that will teach children the necessary Babysitting, CPR and First Aid skills needed to respond in an emergency situation.

Offered throughout the Chicagoland area, this is a perfect course for babysitters to receive the training necessary to become the best babysitter they can be.

Babysitters Come Out and learn how to become a Safer Sitter today!

To learn more the American Red Cross and how to become a Safer Sitter visit: www.chicagoredcross.org/babysit

Beware of Fish Bones

So you can't get more Mexican Catholic than María de los Ángeles Corral. Yes, that's my name. And I was dutifully sent to a Catholic school, St. Wenceslaus, right here in Chicago. And during Lent, we absolutely followed the rules on "no meat Fridays." As a child I wasn't fond of fish and ate it with difficulty, and once, I actually nearly choked on a bone. My mother made me eat half a banana to push it down. Needless to say, I definitely felt the intersession of a divine force that day.

As with many Mexican mothers, life's emergencies are resolved with tactics that balance myth and true science. A banana is not the way to help a choking child, nor anyone for that matter. BTW, my mother has since taken a CPR class and at least in the choke rescue department, she is relying on science for the next emergency.

For all those out there who will be eating fish tomorrow, beware of the bones. And if you think you are not ready for the moment when someone will surprise you with the international sign of choking (hands at throat), get yourself to a class (there are still openings in our extended CPR Training Days event) or at least watch this video.

I know you all grew up with some crazy or very sensible ways to get out of choking emergencies. Tell me about it! I want to hear them.

Save a Life (and some money)

A quick search on ebay told me that for $9.00 I can get a Malaysian stamp, Berkley travel mug, or a slightly worn ladies cotton three quarter-sleeved t-shirt. I’ve got a better use for your hard earned money. This month only (coincidentally March is Red Cross month) the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago is offering CPR training for only $9.00. This is 80% off the regular price of $45.00. Sure you may have taken this training in high school or sometime in the 80’s but things have changed since then and it’s time to refresh your skills. Sure this training might help you get a job but I can’t think of a better motivator for taking one of these classes than the fact that you’d be empowered to save a life should you ever need to. The fact that it’s on sale this month is just a great bonus. Sign up here!

Martha Carlos works at the Red Cross, she knows CPR and also a good bargain when she sees one.

Get your hearts pumping!

Only a few more days until Valentine’s Day; are you ready with the perfect gift? I bought mine last week (can’t tell you hear what it is of course… but I’m ready).

I love those little chocolates hearts as much as the next person, but I was noticing the other day that Valentine’s gifts are all basically unhealthy-fancy dinners, big heart-shaped boxes of chocolate etc. Have you ever thought about giving something a little more heart warming (with fewer calories)? I have a suggestion. Sure it’s a off the beaten path but what could be a bigger thrill than learning to save a life together?

Pet, infant or adult CPR classes are great gifts for loved ones. Taking a class together provides you with quality time and shows that you really care about your loved ones health and it’s an activity you can do with a family member, friend or romantic interest. If taking the class with a romantic partner you should know that we practice the mouth-to-mouth portion on manikins in the class so don't get any funny ideas (what you do on your own time is none of our business)..

Frugal Valentine’s should check out our discounted CPR Training Days program in March where we offer CPR classes for just $9.00-this happens just once a year. Sure you can’t take the class this month but you can register early and tuck your event confirmation into a mushy, gushy card (and maybe even include some dark chocolate, which is supposed to be healthy in moderation right?-yum) in celebration of the holiday.

What type of off-the-beaten-path Valentine’s Day gifts have you given or gotten?

Since Martha Carlos is already CPR certified she would like (somewhat healthy) dark chocolate for Valentine's Day. If she wasn't up to date on her lifesaving skills, she would take a class AND request chocolate.