Kent City — Alyssa Miller has seen the importance of knowing what to do in case of a medical emergency.
The Kent City High School senior was at a volleyball tournament when one of the players experienced a medical issue and needed an ambulance. Although student athletes regularly practice how to call for emergency help and learn where to locate an AED (defibrillator) machine, she said, the experience was still frightening.
“It can happen so quickly, and without even knowing — there was nothing wrong with her beforehand,” said Alyssa, who noted the student turned out to be OK. “Something like that can be so serious, and that can be really scary for a person to deal with.”
That’s one of many reasons why Alyssa and her fellow members of the high school National Honor Society were happy to lead the “One Week to Save a Life” challenge during American Heart Month in February.
An initiative of the American Heart Association, the week-long challenge empowers student leaders to teach their peers about the importance of heart health, how to spot medical warning signs and actions to take in case of emergency. Throughout the week, the Kent City NHS members gave presentations, answered questions and encouraged their peers to download and complete a multi-step training called Finn’s Mission to learn more about life-saving skills.
“(National Honor Society students) are natural leaders, so it makes sense to partner with them to help teach these valuable lessons,” said Amanda Peterson, AHA’s senior development director for school engagement, who worked with the students on how to implement the challenge. “Their part is to really rally their friends, share the message and get them to understand the importance.”
While all students at KCHS are required to complete CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training, this is the first year that NHS students have led this additional training.
“I think it’s important for kids to hear it from us, because they listen to teachers all day long and that becomes, like, just another voice,” said senior Karley Eager. “Hearing about this from other students, I feel like they’re more likely to take it in and actually try to understand it, or be more willing to work on (the challenges).”
Seeing the Bigger Picture
One Week to Save a Life is a “new spin” on the AHA’s school-based challenges, which used to include events like Jump Rope for Heart, said Peterson, who is also a Kent City graduate, parent and former employee.
“Times are changing, and we saw less and less engagement with those sorts of events,” Peterson said. “We wanted to change up our program to make it more applicable to students and their lives, and technology today, and also deepen the educational component for students and their families.”
That educational component is found in Finn’s Mission, an app that walks students through seven challenges to learn essential skills. In the process of completing the challenges, students learn about the dangers of vaping and tobacco use, how to perform hands-only CPR, and how to recognize the warning signs of a stroke.
Peterson said one of the main goals is to teach students that anyone can be a “first responder” until professional medical help arrives. The AHA donated 10 CPR dolls to the high school to help with that goal.
“We know that 75% of cardiac events happen outside the hospital — so that means things like schools, the grocery store, athletic events,” she said. “Seconds and minutes count, so we really want students to feel comfortable doing something. The more learning opportunities they get, the more they feel confident to do that.”
Senior Brandon McCullough also appreciated the chance to educate his peers on the dangers of vaping and tobacco use. During one of his classroom presentations, he held a spirited Q&A session on the topic, tossing small prizes to students who got the right answers.
“With (vaping and tobacco), I think that’s a huge issue because, when you think about it, cardiac arrests and strokes or other medical conditions can happen for a variety of reasons out of your control. But people only vape because they choose to,” Brandon said. “So I think it’s important that my classmates are learning about this and hopefully staying away from it.”
He added: “I hope (my classmates) actively attempt to learn it. As long as they attempt to finish Finn’s Mission, I know they’re going to get some valuable resources from this.”
Karley agreed, noting that NHS often takes on projects that impact the larger community, such as blood drives and Toys for Tots collections.
“We’re trying to raise awareness for the bigger picture,” the senior said. “I hope (classmates) can really see that bigger picture here and not just look at it like we’re taking up time in their day. … It means a lot to help people understand how you can help others.”
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