by Christina D. on Saturday, September 8, 2012
Terry Whitney Iowa
I am lucky to be alive and am enjoying being a first-time grandpa, compliments of my only child and lifesaver. Four years ago, Erica, then 22, found the calm strength and focus needed to provide CPR on me when I suffered a massive heart attack at home Thanksgiving weekend. Erica had learned CPR in middle school and was later certified in high school. When it mattered most, her skills shone —and she continued CPR until EMTs arrived.
That was the beginning of a new lease on life for our family—and of our involvement with the American Heart Association to help them create a generation of lifesavers by making sure students learn lifesaving CPR before graduation. Teaching students CPR could save thousands of lives by filling our community with lifesavers trained to give immediate help until EMT’s arrive. “Because of Erica'’s training, she remained calm in a very tense situation and saved her father'’s life. He wouldn’t be here today if Erica had not started and correctly performed CPR,” said her mother, Janet.