Aidan's Heart Foundation needed volunteers to help teach how to save a life, and Chester County Hospital nurses and educators raised their hands.
More than 1,000 5th and 6th graders in the Downingtown Area School District were trained how to enact the cardiac chain of survival and use hands-only CPR and AED therapy to save a victim from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). SCA strikes one young person every three days in the United States and is the leading cause of death on school property.
Aidan's Heart Foundation, which was founded by Christy and Steve Silva after losing their young son to SCA, is eager to prepare youth and communities for rapid and proper response to cardiac emergencies to ensure survival.
The trainings took place during Physical Education (PE) classes and were facilitated by certified CPR/AED instructors, PE educators, and 20-year-old Blair Allen, a local SCA survivor. Approximately 1,000 students listened to a presentation, received handson instruction and practiced skills during each class period.
