American Heart Month: Saving Lives

By Tanesha Hayes, Volunteer

February is all about health and love! It’s what we call, American Heart Month. The month was created to raise awareness and combat the disturbing fact that more than half the deaths in the U.S were caused by cardiovascular disease. This disease can affect both your health and social aspects of your life. Your exercise patterns, what you eat, family involvement, employment options and ability to have fun (say goodbye to crazy rides at amusement parks), are the most common aspects of people’s lives effected by cardiovascular disease. Not to mention, living with cardiovascular disease decreases life expectancy and increases your chance of depression. Heart health not only affects you but everyone close to you!

I encourage every person to take initiative and combat cardiovascular disease. You can do this by learning more about the heart, living a healthy life style, and preparing yourself to handle any cardiac crisis that could happen.

The American Red Cross understands the importance of heart health and that cardiac attacks could affect anyone within moment’s notice. Would you know what to do if someone near you needed saving? After taking the CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)/AED (Automatic defibrillator) course, you will be trained and certified to save anyone during an emergency.

The CPR/AED course teaches students how to save a life during a cardiac or breathing emergency. To be more specific, this skill can be useful for saving an adult or child in cases of a heart attack, near drowning, or when a person’s heartbeat has stopped. Reid Heiser is a former student of the Red Cross’s CPR/AED course. The 17-year-old saved the life of Jim Hammer when he collapsed at the recreation center where Reid worked. This incident was unexpected and happened one week after completing his Red Cross CPR training. Both Reid and Jim are thankful for the CPR training and are now friends!

This month is about the love of our hearts- and others. Like Reid, you never know when you’ll have to perform a lifesaving act, but you’ll be proud when you know how!

If you are interested in learning more about the CPR/AED course, check out the Red Cross website.



Sources: 
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-3566-american-heart-month-1964
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/aed
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/aed/using-an-aed
https://sites.google.com/a/cornell.edu/cardiovascular-disease-in-the-united-states/social-impacts

My Red Cross Volunteer Story: Mallory Rabon

Written by: Mallory Rabon, volunteer

Sometimes, the desire to volunteer and give back to your community can be daunting because it is difficult to know where to begin. As a high school senior in Raleigh, North Carolina, I knew that I wanted to become involved in something bigger than myself; that extended beyond my high school bubble. As a member of various school service organizations, I wanted to contribute to an organization with a wider reach.

That’s when I thought of the American Red Cross. Years before, I had participated in the Red Cross Babysitting and Child Care Training Course, and advertised myself as a “certified” babysitter. That certification made me feel much more confident during my weekly child care jobs and I gained valuable knowledge and practice working with young children. Knowing that the American Red Cross offered a variety of programs in my community, I started to research other programs and got CPR certified. The more interested I became, the more I saw the Red Cross presence in my immediate community. The Red Cross made it so easy to become involved--they were actually coming to my school’s backdoor -- this time through blood services.

Honestly, I was nervous about giving blood (as I think most people are during their first time). Having a needle stuck into my arm was not my idea of “fun,” but the impact of those few moments of discomfort was worth it. Did you know that you could save up to 3 lives by giving blood? I did not. And that forever changed the previously scary imagery of donating into an amazing and relatively convenient experience that makes an instant impact. Understanding the need for blood was not the only reason why my experience was so positive; the Red Cross staff was extremely accommodating and kind. I was feeling quite faint, and the staff was so attentive and put my nerves to rest. I got some snacks and fluids to revive me, and I felt very safe and well cared for. Despite feeling a bit sheepish about my weak stomach, my overall experience was one that I can look back on with fondness, and will be donating again soon.

Becoming involved with the Red Cross does not have to be complicated. And whether you want to give blood, earn your EMT certification, get involved in disaster relief, or support our military and their families, there are many ways for you to make an impact. As everyday citizens, we can make a difference, and the American Red Cross makes it easy for you to do so. Become a part of something bigger than yourself and your immediate social circle. Speaking for myself, the Red Cross has widened my horizons and enabled me to affect others’ lives and to take advantage of amazing volunteer opportunities in my community. Now living in Washington D.C, I am thrilled to be a volunteer for an organization that positively influences so many lives every day.