By Jennifer Griffin
My twelve year old daughter, Gwyneth, was taken from our family two summers ago after collapsing during an outdoor class activity at her middle school in Stafford County, Virginia. She was the victim of cardiac arrest. Gwyneth suffered a devastating brain injury that day and remained in the hospital for six weeks before she passed away.
Compounding this tragedy is that simple knowledge of CPR could have saved her life. When given right away, CPR doubles or even triples survival rates. Sadly, about 90 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die, largely because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene.
It was at Gwyneth’s bedside- with the support of family, friends and her physicians and nurses- that we began thinking of ways we could prevent other kids from dying unnecessarily. That’s when we began drafting Gwyneth’s Law.
Gwyneth’s law would ensure that all Virginia teachers and high school graduates receive basic CPR training, giving them the skills necessary to help when seconds count. The American Heart Association has been leading the charge in CPR education and outreach in Central Virginia. As a founding member of the Central Virginia CPR Council, the AHA has helped train over 6,000 Richmonders in Hands-Only CPR over the past 4 years. In addition to the community outreach and training programs the AHA provides, The AHA worked alongside my husband and me to help pass “Gwyneth’s Law” during the 2013 legislative session in Richmond. The law requires all students in the Commonwealth to learn CPR before graduating from high school and all teachers to learn this skill as a condition of their licensure. Gwyneth’s Law is a monumental step forward in spreading CPR education and will build a safer and more prepared Virginia.
Recently, I met Ellie Whelan, a healthy and active 16 year old, who went into sudden cardiac arrest last fall at her high school in Petersburg, Virginia. Fortunately, Ellie received immediate life-saving CPR from her teachers and the school nurse. Her mother, Elizabeth Whelan says “If Ellie had went into cardiac arrest 40 minutes earlier, she would have been home, and probably wouldn’t have survived because her dad and I did not know CPR.” The Whelan’s are thankful for the quick acting staff at Ellie’s school and for Gwyneth’s law. Ellie and her parents have since received CPR training and are working with the American Heart Association to spread awareness about the importance of CPR.
The American Heart Association holds events, like the Heart Walk, which help educate and spread awareness about cardiovascular diseases and the importance of learning CPR. My husband and I are committed to making people are aware of the difference they can make. Join the thousands of people at the Richmond Heart Walk on Saturday, October 11th at West Creek Parkway to show your support for the American Heart Association and to take part in free, Hands-Only CPR training classes that day. Register today for the Richmond Heart Walk at www.richmondvaheartwalk.org or call 804-965-6552 for more information.
Click here to learn more about Gwyneth’s Law and her story.
Jennifer Griffin is an American Heart Association advocate and spokesperson for CPR training in schools. She lives in Stafford Co. with her family.
