Course proves to be life saving
Date: Mon, Nov 14th, 2011
Peterborough Examiner
Article by: Ed Arnolds - People, Places, Opinions, etc.

Photo by: Clifford Skarstedt
Sharon Card thought she had taken her last breath last Sunday night at Ricky's All Day Grill on Monaghan at Lansdowne when a piece of food was caught in her throat.
"I couldn't breathe. Everything became a blur," she says.
Sharon was with five other women enjoying a meal when it happened. None of them knew how to save her.
One tried but nothing was working until "I saw a flash of white; my saving grace, my guardian angel, my second chance." Another customer had gone to the kitchen area to get help shouting, "A woman is choking, she needs help."
That flash of white Sharon saw was the uniform being worn by 26-year-old kitchen manager Adam Brand. He immediately put the lessons he learned last year through the St. John Ambulance CPR course to work.
Adam says, "I came out of the kitchen and went to the lounge area. I could tell she was choking. Her hands were around her throat, a woman was trying to help but I don't think she knew too much about what she was doing. I ran up the stairs and everything from the course just seemed to kick in."
He performed the Heimlich Manoeuvre while another staff member called 911.
"It just happened really fast. I got behind her. I had her face away and got in position. The first 10 times I pulled I was taking it easy. I remembered I could hurt people but after every couple of pulls I asked if we had got it and knew we hadn't. I pulled harder. Finally, she fell forward and it (a piece of steak) just came out. This all happened so fast it was unbelievable. I had never had to do it before and hadn't used the first aid training I took last year, it just kicked in. I think cooler heads prevailed. I was really happy that I could help and it felt good that I could help her out.
"The people there were super. The man who had yelled for help patted me on the back and the woman was super appreciative, she even brought me in a card.
Sharon says: "I wouldn't be talking with you today if it wasn't for him. He was fantastic."
"I was completely in shock even the next day. I'm still sore and I'm not complaining. Adam is my hero."
She wanted him to be recognized.
Meanwhile Barbara Cantello of the St. John Ambulance heard about the life saving and smiled. She knows how wonderful it feels to save someone's life because she has done it a few times. "It is a wonderful feeling."
She also knows how beneficial it is for people to know how to save someone's life that's what the St. John Ambulance people does offering courses in first aid and CPR among other things. It is the oldest charity in the world.
Sharon Card is alive today because Adam Brand took the course and Cindy Crowley of Ricky's made sure its staff was offered it. Most workplaces are required to have someone on board who has taken the course place. Ricky's has several employees and always one on shift who has their CPR certifications and Cindy Crowley says she wouldn't have it any other way. It is mandated by the province but Ricky's has made sure several people have taken the course. For example there were three employees on duty that night who had taken the CPR St. John Ambulance course.
For information on the courses for your workplace or yourself call 705 745-0331.
Adam Brand did and Sharon Card is very thankful for that.
Here's some information from St. John Ambulance that may help:
"All St John Ambulance firstaid courses now include free AED (defibrillator) training as well as the new Fall 2011 CPR protocols, which means there have been some changes to the administration of CPR, as well as new steps for dealing with choking casualties. A brand-new 435page first-aid reference guide that teaches all the new skills, and many others, is given out to everyone who participates in a first aid/cpr course with the organization. Each St. John Ambulance first-aid student also receives a free Student Training Kit to use during the class.
"St John Ambulance works with the WSIB to set the standards for first aid in the workplace regulations. St John Ambulance is Canada's leader in firstaid training. Locally, St. John Ambulance trains the Peterborough / lakefield police, the nursing staff at the PRHC, several PRHC doctors, VON nursing staff, The Medical Centre nursing staff, Peterborough County-city Public Health Unit nursing staff and the local Medical Officer of Health, the staff from many local industries, banks, retail shops, grocery stores, and all types of workplaces, MNR staff, Kawartha Pine Ridge staff, PVNCSB staff, and thousands of members of the public. To read more about the new CPR protocols, please visit: www.sja.ca/canada/pages.protocol/place.aspx
"For anyone interested in receiving the new life-saving training, St. John Ambulance has a first-aid class on this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19-20, or Saturday-sunday, Nov. 26-27 at 1500 Lansdowne St., W. (inside Applewood Manor), or ThursdayFriday, Nov. 24-25 at the Lions Community Centre (347 Burnham Street), or Monday-tuesday, Nov. 28-29 at the Lions Centre. All classes are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the level of CPR undertaken. Pre-registration is mandatory for all classes. Please call St. John Ambulance at 705-745-0331 for more information and/or to register for a class."