First Aid CPR AED | Quick action from bystanders saves a life in Pennsylvania

1
First Aid CPR AED Quick action from bystanders
saves a life in Pennsylvania
2
For Stacey Sassaman and Lloyd Emelle, it was a
day like any other. They were visiting Staceys
brother in Westchester, PA and decided to spend a
quiet afternoon at the neighborhood coffee shop.
The two took up seats next to an elderly man
who seemed to be sitting and quietly daydreaming
to himself. After a while the man, Joe, fell
asleep in his armchair. Stacey, a medical
student, noticed his sleep seemed erratic and his
breathing uneven, so she and Lloyd opted to keep
an eye on him.
3
Almost an hour later, Joes breathing appeared to
be getting heavier and he was struggling. At
this time we were increasingly concerned about
his symptoms, explains Lloyd, a former
lifeguard. Stacey went to alert the baristas
that he might need help, and I began to mentally
prepare myself for the possibility that I may
need to perform CPR. Thats when I saw him stop
breathing. Lloyd and Stacey immediately jumped
into action. Lloyd cleared the surrounding
furniture as Stacey checked for a pulse. Right as
she found it, it disappeared. They moved Joe to
the floor, and Stacey began to perform Hands-Only
CPR. The barista Stacey had spoken to called
9-1-1. Stacey and Lloyd performed Hands-Only CPR
for almost 4 minutes until the paramedics arrived
and took over. Once his pulse was restored, Joe
was transported to a local hospital where he
recovered.
4
Speaking of the experience now seems surreal,
shares Lloyd. Im an Eagle Scout. Its my
mindset to be ready for anything, though I never
expected something like this. I learned CPR
growing up in Houston. My mom enrolled me in a
city program for disadvantaged kids where I
learned how to swim and eventually trained to be
a lifeguard. Not everyone needs to be an EMT,
doctor, etc., added Stacey, who is studying to
be an OBGYN. But everyone should know the
basics. One of the most alarming parts of this
experience was, when Joe stopped breathing,
everyone else in the cafe froze. I asked the
barista if they had an AED, but he didnt know
how to respond. If Lloyd and I hadnt been there,
its likely no one would have been able to
help.
5
This is why Stacey, who is trained in BLS and
ACLS, so strongly recommends the American Heart
Association trainingnot just for medical
professionals but for everyone. My training
through the Association was great, concludes
Stacey. What made it so effective is that it
wasnt just a lecture, but rather a hands-on
experience. You dont want to have to stop and
think when seconds really count. I have no doubt
that my training was critical to saving that
mans life. Learn more about First Aid CPR AED.
Bergenfield, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Livingston, NJ,
Queens, New York, Gainesville, FL, Milford, CT
and Long Island, NY. Source https//cprblog.hear
t.org