On Thursday, June 6, to kick off CPR & AED Awareness Week, LA County’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency invited MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center to assist with training and educating the community about the importance of Hands-Only CPR. The free, annual Sidewalk CPR event, held at El Dorado West Good Neighbor Park, encouraged and prepared many on how to save their loved one’s life during a life-threatening emergency.
In total, 138 participants of all ages learned the importance of Hands-Only CPR and the staggering statistics surrounding the lack of CPR performed in the community.
“Long Beach has the largest cardiac arrest emergencies but the lowest CPR bystanders out of all cities in LA county,” said Victoria Barbara, RN, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. “Forty-nine percent were reported as having CPR performed before EMT arrived.”
To kick off the event, survivors took to the stage, where they shared their experiences and expressed gratitude to those who performed CPR to save their lives. Among them was 74-year-old John Zaragoza who shared he would not be alive if his nephew, Larry, did not administer CPR on him during his cardiac arrest.
“This experience brought me closer to my faith in God,” said John. “I appreciate my nephew was there and that he knew what he was doing. I get to spend more time with my family, and I am grateful for that.”
This testament of the swift actions his nephew performed shows the power of being knowledgeable in CPR. It is about life and death for many.
After the survivors shared their stories, participants visited two booths nearby to learn more information and received resources on how to become CPR certified. One booth was a training booth where attendees received one-on-one CPR training on an adult mannikin or pediatric mannikin, with several nurses from MemorialCare, firefighters, paramedics, and other medical professionals guiding them.
“It was wonderful seeing the young people eager to learn too,” said Janelle Soldano, RN, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. “I really liked the motto they had at the event, ‘Turn bystanders into lifesavers.’”
Since 2012, MemorialCare has been educating the surrounding community about CPR through events such as this as part of their annual community outreach program. Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, making events that teach and encourage bystanders not to be afraid to perform CPR critical.
“We want people to be comfortable performing Hands-Only CPR,” David Shavelle, M.D., chief of cardiology, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute; medical director, adult cardiology & interventional lab, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. “Not only does this method save a person’s life, but it also improves their quality of life.”
