| A Life Saved – No Joke! |
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“I thought taking a CPR class was kind of a joke,” chuckled Ryan Christmas. I’ll get it done because the Y told me to. I’ll sit here in class and do it for my job.”
Ryan recently graduated from high school and is heading off to college at LSU. But last summer he worked as a YMCA camp counselor. And recently training he received at the YMCA paid off. Big time.
Every employee of the YMCA is required to become certified in CPR. Ryan recalls thinking “I don’t know why they are making us watch this video. I am never going to use it.”
But a turn of events changed his mind. Traveling abroad with a friend and mentor, the three had just arrived and had some lunch. Tired from travel they decided to rest back at the hotel. That’s when everything changed.
Ryan’s mentor was suffering a heart attack. His face blue and pulse weak, Ryan jumped up and started administering CPR. His friend ran for help. “I got up and did what I was trained to do. I turned into that guy in the video!”
Hotel emergency personnel arrived with an AED but no one spoke English. Overcoming language barriers, Ryan continued CPR while the AED was prepared and continued until EMS arrived. Today Ryan’s mentor is alive and well thanks to his quick attention and training in CPR.
“I was just doing what I needed to do. I think everybody should be trained in CPR at least once. I thank the Y for that . . . That is awesome!”
Thank you, Ryan! No joke!
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