North of the 49th | Amway

Chances are, I'm going to have a heart attack one day. 

I'm not looking forward to it, for sure. But I've got a little family history there: my grandfather had six of them, my dad had quadruple bypass surgery (which unearthed evidence of a mild heart attack back in his 30's), and there's a family history of elevated cholesterol.

So the odds are certainly stacked in my favour. But that's not my worry — my true worry is that I'm going to have the big one, drop on the ground (knowing my luck it would be somewhere embarrassing — but that's really the least of my worries, eh?) and a bunch of people are going to be standing there waiting for someone else to do something.

The sad thing is that's it's so simple to improve someone's chances at living — all it takes is a little time and education.

Last week I attended a two-day recertification course for my first responder training. CPR, wounds, etc. — the works. The trainer was outstanding and, coming out of it, I'm really much more confident about being able to respond. And really, that's all that matters.

Too often people are paralyzed by self-doubt. They'll say, "Oh, the ambulance will be here soon," or "I don't want to do it wrong — what if I hurt them?" Listen, no pulse, no breathing? How much worse can you hurt them? They're pretty much dead. So something's got to be better than nothing, right? And something, combined with a little bit of training, can mean the difference between someone living 30-40 years longer, or a family growing up without a husband/wife, father/mother, or grandparent.

This all takes me back about 20 years ago. I was visiting my then-girlfriend in Montreal. A group of us were walking alongside a fairly major thoroughfare. A dog broke free from its owner and ran into the street where it was struck by two kids (kids, they were the same age as me) on a scooter/motorcycle thing. Scooter met dog and riders met pavement as they flew over the handlebars.

Immediately my friend and I ran out into the street to help. A car behind them stopped and the driver started diverting traffic. Someone ran to call 911 (remember, this was back in 1991ish — cell phones looked like bricks and not everyone had one). We really didn't know what to do. I went to the girl, checked her for injuries, and kept her immobilized. She was screaming and going into shock. Her boyfriend was unconscious, but breathing, and my friend stayed with him.

The dog? The owner came up, put the leash on the dog, and took off. I shouted at her to stay, but obviously I wasn't going to leave the girl bleeding on the ground.

Eventually the ambulance arrived. I was asked to continue holding her as they moved her on the stretcher. I'll never forget the look in her eyes as she screamed in pain — all the while staring at me — because it turned out she had quite a few broken bones in her arm, which I was being asked to immobilize. I know it wasn't my fault, but it's hard to get that image out of my mind.

That was it. The ambulance and police left, after taking our contact info. I never found out what happened those two, nor was I ever called back, so I assume the dog walker got away. That was it. A random occurrence, 30 minutes of fear, and then back to our lives.

I feel good about what I did and I'm proud that I responded the way I did. But I was also ashamed for several other people who just took off. Drivers sped up to avoid being stuck at the scene. We weren't the closest people to the accident, but we were the only ones that made a move to help — and we were 19-year-old know-nothing morons.

Which brings me back to lying on the ground, with a crushing weight on my chest, in the future. Will someone step up? Or will people hope I become Somebody Else's Problem (not my term — it's a great reference I've taken from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Book. Basically, instead of making something invisible — which is expensive — they simply hide it in a Somebody Else's Problem field, and use people's natural inclination to pretend something unpleasant doesn't exist [think of people who ignore homeless, or gloss over abusive situations]. Very astute for a comedic book).  

The key is education. The more you know, the more you know how important it is to respond within minutes — seconds really. One's long-term prospects increase dramatically when CPR or other measures are started early. There are also automatic defibrillators that are so intuitive that I'd trust my eight-year-old daughter with using them.

But fear is a powerful force. The only way to overcome fear is through knowledge. And that's why I think it's important for everyone to take one of these first responder courses. Hopefully you'll never have to use it, but if you do then the confidence and knowledge you'll get will be invaluable. Plus, it doesn't matter if you remember everything — just remember to do something.

Compression to breath ratio? Who cares??? (It's actually 30:2 across the board now, FYI). But if you were brought up on 10:2 or 5:2 something is better than nothing! Even if all you learn is to avoid moving someone who may have a cervical spine injury (my cousin's a quadriplegic — it's a lifestyle choice to avoid, if you can) then that's enough. Just do something.

This is something I think should be done in the elementary and secondary school systems as well. Get the kids used to it, make them aware, and the next generation will be ready to help when we need them. Think it's expensive to institute a nation-wide training program? It's pennies compared to hospitalization costs, rehab, and other associate expenses that could be prevented by stopping just one person from becoming a quad/paraplegic.

And, in the end, what is the cost of life? A few hours of your life could translate into a few years for someone you love. Or even for someone you don't know, but were able to help in a moment of crisis. What is that worth to you?

I know I'm going to start working with my local elected representatives to make something happen in the school systems. All I ask of you is to consider taking a first aid or CPR course. After all, this business is all about helping people live better lives!

Your comments are welcome, of course! All the best,

Jay