CPR | One CPR class changed his entire life

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CPR / One CPR class changed his entire life
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When Manny Medina was 16, he didnt know or care
much about emergency cardiovascular care as he
walked into a CPR class at his high school in Las
Cruces, New Mexico. But then I pulled out the
(defibrillator) pads and all of a sudden I felt
like I was on TV on an episode of ER I felt
empowered to go into the medical field and help
people, said Medina, whos now 31. It turns out
that one class changed the path of my entire
life. Now a CPR instructor and teacher-trainer
based in San Diego, Medina volunteers for
American Heart Association, both as a teacher and
a community spokesperson. CPR training has
always been very close to my heart, he said. I
really want to help people, especially young
people, make a difference.
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From June 1 7, the AHA celebrates National CPR
and AED Awareness Week, an annual event designed
to promote CPR and AED (automated external
defibrillator) education and save lives. More
than 350,000 people have cardiac arrests
out-of-hospital every year in the U.S., but only
46 percent of them get the immediate help they
need before professional help arrives. CPR can
double or triple a persons chance of survival,
especially if its performed in the first few
minutes of cardiac arrest. Medinas CPR class in
high school inspired him to become a certified
paramedic. But after a few years on the job, he
developed a stress-induced seizure disorder, and
his neurologist told him he should find a
less-stressful occupation. The news left him
feeling defeated at first, Medina says. But as
he transitioned from being a paramedic into a CPR
instructor, he got excited about teaching people
of all ages and backgrounds how to save someones
life. Manny is extremely dedicated, and his
positive energy is contagious, said Alexander
Gonzalez, a paramedic who mentored Medina. He
has a passion for learning as much as he can he
delivers the most exceptional education no matter
what course hes presenting.
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Today, Medina takes particular pride in teaching
CPR in high-risk Latino neighborhoods. That
statistic shook me to the core, he said. I grew
up in a Spanish-speaking household, and in that
community, sometimes people dont have the skills
or the experience (to perform CPR), or they have
language barriers that make it hard to call for
help. Medina said hes equally passionate about
teaching CPR to young people. Hes in the process
of setting up his own CPR training center geared
toward youth, and hes thrilled to see more U.S.
states requiring CPR courses for high school
students. Thirty-seven states and the District of
Columbia now require CPR training to graduate
high school. Its exciting to see this whole new
generation of people taking CPR classes. The
millennials are embracing it they really want
to learn, said Medina, who encourages his CPR
students to download PulsePoint, a phone app that
helps bystanders assist people experiencing
sudden cardiac arrest.
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I try to teach them new ways of absorbing
information, he said. I really want to empower
kids at a young age and inspire them the same way
that first CPR class inspired me. I want them to
learn the skills so they can go out and have an
impact on their community and make a difference
even if its only one time in their life. Learn
more about CPR. Bergenfield, NJ, Jersey City, NJ,
Livingston, NJ, and Queens, New York. Source
newsarchive.heart.org
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