Grant Helps Teach CPR to Kentucky Middle-Schoolers

Feb. 02--McLean County Middle School students are learning to save lives.

Health and P.E. teacher James Sartain spent two days recently focusing on hands-only CPR.

During his 10 a.m. class period, 29 eighth-grade students were spread out across the gym floor performing chest compressions on an inflatable mannequin named Mini-Annie.

"It takes 100 compressions a minute," said Sartain as he gave the instructions. "You have to push hard and fast on the center of the chest."

McLean County was among 11 school districts to receive a $75,000 grant to purchase the CPR kits that included Mini-Annie and an instructional DVD to use at home after completing the class.

Sartain said 139 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders will receive a kit to keep.

"I want you to take this home and teach your parents," Sartain told the students. "And when they're done, pass it on to someone else in the community."

The grant came from Owensboro Health's Community Benefit Program in October. It was part of the "CPR Anytime" campaign sponsored by Owensboro Health and the American Heart Association.

Eighth-grader Alex Wilson said this was the first time she had ever taken any CPR training.

"I think it's very important to learn," she said. "If someone was dying, I'd want to try to help them. If I didn't, I'd feel bad."

Sartain also encouraged any students who are caregivers or baby sitters to enroll in a full CPR class.

"If you're baby-sitting, you're responsible for that child," Sartain said.

The hands-on CPR is meant to keep the blood flowing to the heart in such cases as cardiac arrest.

According to Owensboro Health, cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in adults in the U.S., and 88 percent of those episodes occur at home.

"Trying to keep the blood circulating is better than doing nothing," Sartain said.

Copyright 2015 - Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.