After witnessing a tragic event, Ryan Bliznikas was driven to learn CPR.
He saw an acquaintance pass away from a cardiac arrest during a recent floor hockey game and none of the other participants had experience in the life saving technique. “Unfortunately that was one of those life changing moments where we say that we needed to do something,” Bliznikas said. “It has affected the group of people a little differently.”
He was one of approximately 150 people who attended a free hands-only CPR tutorial at Westmount Public School on Saturday.
The course stressed the importance of immediately intervening in a cardiac arrest to perform hard and fast chest compressions to continue to circulate blood throughout the body until emergency response teams can arrive.
It also addressed common fears that people have about intervening, and correcting other misconceptions.
Heart and Stroke Foundation health promotions specialist Bill McBain said no matter what, doing something is better than nothing if a life is at stake. “All people have to do is be confident that it’s okay to do whatever,” McBain said. “They can’t hesitate. They have to start right away.”
McBain said statistics show that Thunder Bay has a little bit of a lower bystander rate than other municipalities, and hopes courses like Saturday’s can make people more comfortable in assisting.
In addition to the story from Bliznikas, the audience also heard other stories about how CPR saved lives, or the distress caused by not intervening.
McBain said the course is designed to train people to become guardian angels, and equip them with the ability to save somebody’s life wherever a situation may arise. “This knows no age,” McBain said. “Cardiac arrest can happen at any age for a whole lot of reasons.”
Bliznikas doesn’t know if he, or any member of the group, could have changed things if they had the confidence to act in the first few minutes. However, he is comforted with the knowledge that he knows what to do next time. “Now if an event like that happens again we’ll actually be prepared to step in and do something,” he said. “You just have to do your part and get through the first few minutes.”
The course was organized by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Northern Hearts, Superior North EMS, Ornge and the City of Thunder Bay. Saturday’s was the third free session, and organizers estimate they have trained more than 500 people.
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