FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2012
ARCADIA (March 15, 2012) – Methodist Hospital will sponsor free CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) training for teens Saturday, March 31, at Arcadia High School’s North Gym.
The course, part of a community-wide effort to teach Hands Only CPR to teens will be offered at 3 and 4 p.m. Each session is 45 minutes.
The idea for offering the training was inspired by Allie Hisey, 15, who almost lost her mother to sudden cardiac arrest at a Little League baseball game in 2010.
“Three strangers performed CPR on my mom and kept her heart pumping until help arrived,” Allie said. “They saved her life – and I will always be grateful.”
Allie’s mother, Jill Hisey, was taken to Methodist Hospital and eventually made a full recovery. Remarkably, Allie’s teenage cousin also suffered sudden cardiac arrest in 2011 but fully recovered as well under the care of Methodist Hospital staff.
“This project is a small way to show my appreciation and make a difference in our community,” Allie said.
Many community organizations are involved in making the event a success, providing refreshments and raffle items for participants, volunteer help and thank-you items for the volunteers. Some of the groups involved include Trader Joes, Matt Denny’s, Roundtable Pizza, Original Tommy’s, Fresh & Easy, Girl Scouts-Los Angeles, Typecraft, Wood & Jones, Dreyer’s and the Arcadia police and fire departments.
A highlight of the event will be items autographed by Katy Perry and Adam Lambert that participating teens will have a chance to win.
The CPR training, provided by volunteers from Methodist Hospital and the community, will precede the annual “Battle of the Badges” basketball game between the Arcadia fire and police departments at 6 p.m. in the gym. The training and basketball game were scheduled together to promote collaboration in the community.
Any teen who would like to participate can register online at http://arcadiacpr.eventbrite.com.
The American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR course teaches skills using research-proven practice-while-watching technique that provides students with the most hands-on CPR practice time possible.
“Our goal is to teach hundreds of teens this hands-only CPR method. I am proof that anyone, including teens, can save a life simply by being aware of the CPR basics,” Jill said.