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Local School First In Tennessee To Become CPR Certified

Students, faculty, and staff at a local school learn how to save lives.
CPR CERTIFIED SCHOOL

Students, faculty, and staff at a local school learn how to save lives.

Nearly 900 students and teachers at St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova are officially CPR certified.

St. Benedict is the only school in Tennessee that is CPR certified.

“It was just another example of us bonding together to do good,” said SBA principal Sondra Morris.

Morris, is proud of her school’s most recent accomplishment completing CPR certifications for every student and staff member.

Morris said, “If by doing this it extends someone’s life it’s awesome.”

A former SBA student was the main motivation behind it said Morris.

“One of our students, Gerald Blum, he was the class of 2013 he passed away the semester after he graduated of a heart-related issue.

He loved life and I know this makes him very happy.”

SBA school nurse Lindsay Wilemon trained students and staff.

She started 2-hour training classes mid-February and finished before Spring Break.

Wilemon says…this is one more way to prepare students for the real world.

“Most cardiac events happen outside of the hospital and so it’s a good life skill,” said Wilemon.

SBA officials say they want students and teachers to be prepared to handle emergency situations…here at school and out in the community.

“With a high school of almost 8-900 students you’re always having things happen,” said Morris.

“You never know when someone’s life is in your hands,” said student LaResha Gregory.

SBA students admit they were a little nervous about learning CPR.

Gregory said, “I was a little nervous like will I do the compressions right will I do the mouth to mouth right.”

“It was a lot easier than I thought it would be,” said student Josh Hamann.

Students like Hamann say they feel more confident because of the training. Hamann says he’ll know what to do if something happens.

“I have been in multiple choking occasions where I’ve not known what to do.”

Students say they’re grateful to SBA for not only providing a college-ready education but also training them to save lives.

“To know how to do it it’s a great opportunity to save a life,” Hamann said.

“I feel very confident in doing it on a person,” said Gregory.

CPR training at SBA including the cost of dummy sets and equipment was about $7-thousand dollars which was paid for through grants and donations.

Those who are CPR trained must renew their certification every two years to keep it valid.

 

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