By Rachel Blythe (Class of 2022)

Anticipation filled the atmosphere as the girl schoolers gathered in the Developing Virtue Girls School’s Chan Hall on Friday morning, February the 15^th. The constant murmurs and laughter ceased when an employee from American Heart Association, entered the room.

First, she mentioned that although people know the basic fundamentals of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in reality when an accident occurs, many onlookers are too anxious to perform it.

To carry out CPR, kneel down by the victim, one hand on top of the other over the center of the person’s chest with the elbows straight, and then press down with both hands 100 to 120 times a minute.

As soon as you discover an unconscious body, it is vital to remember to dial 911 to inform the police about the incident. By following these steps stated above, the employee shared with us that a boy was able to save his father’s life. The boy’s father fell down from a ladder and fell unconscious. During that time, his mother was left shocked and was paralyzed from fear. However, after learning CPR from school, the boy was effective in saving his father’s life

“What if we break the ribs during the process of CPR?” a student asked.

“If you were the victim, would you rather have a broken bone or the risk of dying?” she replied.

When carrying out CPR, it is crucial to remember that if the chest compressions are either too fast or too slow, it can result in greater problems. A hundred beats per minute are physically taxing for the person doing it, causing a temptation to slow down. Since CPR is less effective when the tempo lags, the song Stayin’ Alive by Bee Gees or Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want To Have Fun both share a hundred beats per minute.
“And remember… You should always stop CPR after the second ‘ouch’ from the patient.”

Photography: Thuy Nguyen and Rachel Blythe (Class of 2022)
Video: Iris Ng (Class of 2021)