Posted By: John Meiners
Special thanks to the state of Arkansas! HB 2224 passed both the House and Senate and is now signed into law by Governor Beebe. This bill will require basic CPR training to be a permanent part of the high school Health and Safety Course, which is a requirement for graduation.
Starting with the freshman class of 2016, all high school students in Virginia will be trained in CPR before they graduate. Gwyneth’s Law, named for 13-year old Gwyneth Griffin who died in July 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest at school, also requires all teachers in Virginia to be trained in CPR.
Join our movement today to make all students in America CPR Smart!www.becprsmart.org
Posted By: John Meiners
We’ve just learned that Virginia Governor McDonnell has signed a law mandating that (staring with the freshman class of 2016) all high school students in Virginia will be trained in CPR before they graduate! The bill also requires all teachers in Virginia to be trained in CPR as a condition of their licensure.
The legislation, Gwyneth’s Law, was named for 13-year old Gwyneth Griffin, who died in July 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest at school. Her parents, Joel and Jennifer Griffin, were tireless advocates and worked side-by-side with AHA staff to advance this legislation. Knowing that CPR could have saved her life, the Griffins made it their mission to empower Virginians to save lives for generations to come. Gwyneth’s Law will add approximately 80,000 CPR trained rescuers across Virginia every year. The AHA team was honored to help them create a legacy for Gwyneth and to help prevent other parents from suffering the same tragedy.
Special thanks and congratulations go out to our Advocacy staff leads Government Relations Director Chris Ramos and Grassroots Director Keltcie Delamarand, the whole Virginia staff, the volunteer team and legislative champions Del. Mark Dudenhefer and Sen. Richard Stuart for their hard work to achieve this incredible success. We’re one step closer to achieving our goal of having every student trained in lifesaving CPR before graduation!
Posted By: John Meiners
A little knowledge can be a lifesaving thing. Too often, people use “sudden cardiac arrest” and “heart attack” interchangeably, but they shouldn’t. Now, the AHA offers an infographic that can help you learn the difference. Check it out today. Fast action can save lives. Know what to do if someone experiences a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
Infographic – What is Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack?
Posted By: John Meiners
Today is the day! It’s the 10th Annual National Wear Red Day. We hope you are all donning red today whether it is a dress, shirt, tie, scarf, shoes or an AHA Red Dress pin.
Today kicks off the first day of American Heart Month. For 10 years, women have been fighting heart disease individually and together as part of the Go Red For Women movement. More than 627,000 women’s lives have been saved, and 330 fewer women are dying per day. But the fight is far from over.
Heart disease is still our No. 1 killer – it affects more women than men and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. But the strength of mothers, sisters, daughters and friends fighting side by side is more powerful than any killer. I show my support in honor of the women I love, and I hope you’ll join me! Visit www.heart.org for more information and tools to help you spread the word.
