GENEVA — Patiently waiting for directions from a digital teacher, Amber Slaviero leaned over a plastic “victim” and took a deep breath, prepared to save a life.
Slaviero, 14, and 60 other Geneva Middle School eighth-grade home economics students learned life-saving Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Monday afternoon, courtesy of the KEN Heart Foundation and UH-Geneva Medical Center.
“The foundation purchased the CPR training system for the hospital with the understanding that hospital employees provide the training,” KEN Heart founder Linette Derminer said. “So far, the balance between our support and the hospital’s staff has been perfect. It is a good match.”
Derminer founded the KEN Heart Foundation after her son, Geneva High School student Ken Derminer, died of sudden cardiac arrest in 2001. The foundation’s goal is to prevent sudden cardiac arrest from occurring in youth and athletes and raise awareness by providing automatic external defibrillators (AEDs)— portable electric shock devices that restore a proper heart rhythm — to local organizations and locations. The foundation has provided two AEDs to the middle school.
Nurses Lori Slimmer and Lori Kingston taught the classes, which included a three-minute instructional video and some one-on-one CPR experience with CPR mannequins and a training AED. The training AED cannot generate an electric shock but takes the students through the CPR process, including unblocking airways and compressing the victim’s chest for two minutes.
Mazda Aviles, 14, has four younger brothers and thinks her CPR training could help if one weren’t breathing.
“They get into a lot of trouble. So I think if they needed me, I would be able to do CPR on them,” she said.
Tiffani Roddick, 14, said doing CPR is a lot harder than watching someone do CPR.
“It is definitely harder to do than I thought,” she said. “The chest compressions took a lot of energy.”
For more information on the foundation, sudden cardiac arrest prevention, or AED units, visit www.kenheart.org. More information on heart defects and support for parents who have lost a child to sudden cardiac arrest can be found at www.parentheartwatch.org and www.ncpn.org.
Local News
Related Photos
Discussion
Geneva students learn how to save a life
- Local News
-
-
Shooting suspect to be tried as adult
A 17-year-old will be tried as an adult in the school shooting deaths of three students, a juvenile court judge ruled Thursday after hearing a sheriff’s deputy describe how the teen wore a T-shirt with the word “Killer” and admitted shooting people.
-
Ohio EPA takes AIM at site of hazardous wastes
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency staff members returned this week to the site of the now-bankrupt Ashtabula Iron and Metal on West 30th Street to take samples of the unknown liquids and analyze hazardous wastes, asbestos and other potential health and environmental concerns.
-
Commissioners look at selling nursing beds
Commissioners have retained the services of a law firm that specializes in the sale of excess nursing home beds as the board looks at ways to raise additional revenues.
-
Conneaut looks at demolition funds
The city is making preparations to secure its share of nearly $692,000 in demolition funds expected to be Ashtabula County’s portion of a multi-billion dollar settlement with national mortgage lenders.
-
Volunteers get more help than needed at rescue spot
Despite their good intentions, Edward and Mary proved more hindrance than help to the Conneaut KeyBank employees lending a helping hand Thursday to a farm animal rescue operation in Kingsville Township.
-
220 graduate at Lakeside
Thursday night was a time of pomp, circumstance and smiles as 220 seniors graduated from Lakeside High School.
-
Lost money?
There is no map, and “X” may not mark the spot, but hundreds of Ashtabula County residents may have unclaimed cash ready and waiting for them through the Ohio Department of Commerce.
-
Lane to be tried as adult in Chardon High shooting
A 17-year-old boy will be tried as an adult in the school shooting deaths of three students, a juvenile court judge ruled Thursday.
-
Happy Hearts School holds commencement for its Class of 2012
As commencement exercises go in Ashtabula County, the one at Happy Hearts School was small, with just five students.
-
Teenager accused of making threats to ’Bula school boss
A 16-year-old boy was arrested after he reportedly threatened the superintendent of the Ashtabula Area City Schools district during a meeting earlier this week, sheriff deputies said.
- More Local News Headlines
-
