To Save a Life

Westwood Rotary Club President Susan Thielemann visited the Park Ridge Club on Friday, September 20 to share with members a topic which has become a passion for her and a signature program of the Westwood Club. Since accepting the position of chairperson of the District’s CPR Anytime program in July, she has been been providing training to groups throughout the area on the need to learn CPR so that more lives may be saved.

District Governor Len Agrusti has made CPR training a major goal of his administration during 2013-14, and, to that end, has provided all 55 clubs in the District with American Heart Association materials that will teach the process. 

 

Susan explained that a person’s chances of survival after sudden cardiac arrest can be more than doubled if Hands-on CPR is initiated within seconds of the attack occurring. Quick action will keep the blood flowing until trained medical help arrives.

The American Heart Association recommends taking two simple steps to save a life: If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, become unresponsive and stop breathing call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive." The sooner this can be started the better since a person’s brain can survive for up to 6 minutes after the heart stops beating.

Groups interested in receiving CPR training are encouraged to contact the Westwood Club at http://www.westwoodrotarynj.com/family-and-friends-cpr-anytime.html.