For health professionals, CPR certification is just another requirement to meet and a task to check off a list, but to the average citizen, it may seem out of reach from their abilities. In reality, though, CPR training has the power to save lives every day — and you don’t need to be a medical professional to perform it.
Medical professionals are most often looked to when it comes time to save lives or address high-stress emergencies. Their extensive skill set and ability to work under pressure has no doubt been honed through years of experience and training.
But it’s a myth that only healthcare professionals can save lives with CPR. In fact, at ProTrainings, we like to keep a library of success stories of average individuals who used their CPR training to save a life.
Read on for three shining examples of everyday citizens who sprung into action and were able to save lives with proper CPR training.
A Mom Saves Her Son
Tammy Schneider, a library employee from Kentwood, Michigan, was having a routine dinner with her family. Suddenly, her 8-year-old son began to show signs of choking. Rather than panicking or waiting to see if he could cough it free, she quickly recognized the signs of a person in distress and put her very recent training to work.
Tammy had participated in a ProTrainings online CPR course just a week prior to that family dinner. Her online CPR course gave her not only the knowledge to perform the life-saving act but also the confidence to take action when it really mattered. She was able to take the steps needed to save her son and now has CPR skills to save lives in the future.
Saved by the Love of His Life
In late 2021, 70-year-old Steve Cline went into sudden cardiac arrest. His wife Annette was nearby and recognized the signs of a life-threatening event. She took quick action, called 911, and then performed CPR under the guidance of the emergency dispatcher.
Annette performed compression-only CPR for six minutes until an ambulance arrived and was able to relieve her. Ultimately, because of the steps she took, her husband survived.
Many people might assume that Annette’s lack of training or physical strength could have prevented her from ever being able to save a life, but her quick wit and the knowledge shared by the dispatcher made all the difference.
High Schooler Saves Motorcyclist’s Life
Liz, a Minnesota student, had the opportunity to participate in ProTrainings’ CPR training with her local high school. The following summer, on a trip to visit her sister, Liz witnessed a motorcyclist who stopped breathing after wrecking his motorcycle on a remote road.
Due to her preparedness, Liz was able to recognize the situation and take action, just as her CPR training had taught her. She and her family were able to contact emergency services while Liz provided compressions. The motorcyclist began to show signs of life and the ambulance arrived on the scene to take over for Liz.
Liz’s quick thinking saved a man’s life in the most unexpected situation. As Liz mentions in her interview, she thought she’d have to use her CPR training with her family, but it ended up being a complete stranger who she was there to help.
CPR Can Save Lives
Unfortunately, healthcare professionals aren’t always able to make it to emergencies in time to save lives, and no one knows when they might have to perform CPR. In many cases, average citizens are the first on the scene and have to act quickly to use their own CPR know-how until medical professionals arrive.
It’s essential that everyone — health care professionals and everyday citizens — know the basics of CPR. Making sure you’ve got the knowledge, resources, and confidence to know that you’ll be ready to save lives with CPR is where ProTrainings comes in.
ProTrainings is here to help make sure that you and those you work with have the necessary skills and understanding to save lives when the time comes. Reach out today to learn more about our group and remote-staff CPR certification programs.