Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to consider learning CPR 

By Eilene E. Guy, American Red Cross volunteer

February 12, 2020- Todd Parish was thinking about those near and dear to him – his wife and five children – when he took American Red Cross first aid and CPR training. It turned out to be one of his grownup buddies who needed his lifesaving help.

When Joe Dye tripped and fell down the basement stairs, landing on the front of his skull, the impact shut down his breathing and profuse bleeding filled his nose and mouth. Quickly, Joe started turning blue.

Todd was just leaving the Dye house when he heard Joe’s wife screaming. Fortunately, he knew what to do: Check, call and care.

He checked to be sure Joe was alive, told Joe’s wife to call 9-1-1 and then cared for Joe right there by giving him literally “the breath of life.”

Rescue squadsmen credited Todd with saving Joe’s life. “When someone’s turning blue, that’s what’s happening – oxygen starvation,” paramedic Don Henry said. “And when you’re without air for six minutes, the brain begins to die.”

Every year, millions of people like Todd learn lifesaving first aid and CPR/AED skills from the Red Cross, which means that millions more are within the “circle of care” those trained responders can offer.

Do you really know how to respond if a loved one is having a heart attack, an asthma attack or a diabetic emergency? Could you confidently help someone choking, bleeding severely or having a seizure?

The Red Cross offers first aid and CPR/AED training suited to all types of learners: traditional in-person classes, self-paced online courses and blended presentations that include interactive instruction and in-person skills sessions.

Treat your loved ones, friends and even strangers to a valentine that never gathers dust: Sign up today for first aid and CPR/AED training (and urge them to do the same for you)!

Go to redcross.org and click the “Training and Certification” tab or call 1-800-RED CROSS to find the most convenient training opportunity for you. Don’t put it off: Like Todd, you never know when you’ll be in the position to save a life.