SAN ANTONIO — The American Heart Association presented 200 Infant CPR Anytime Kits to Methodist Healthcare Ministries on Thursday.
The AHA partnered with H-E-B, Methodist Healthcaren and SWBC Foundation for the initiative. The kits were delivered to the ambulance bay at Methodist Hospital Stone Oak.
“We know that about 7,000 children will suffer from cardiac arrest every year outside of the hospital,” said Jessica DeSouza, senior director of development with AHA.
The Infant CPR Anytime Kits include an instructional DVD and an inflatable training manikin. According to the American Heart Association, they have everything needed to help someone learn the life-saving skills of infant CPR and infant choking relief in roughly 20 minutes.
“About 70% of all cardiac arrest happens outside of the hospital,” DeSouza said. “And so performing CPR immediately before the ambulance arrives is what really increases the chance of survival.”
The kits are for new parents, grandparents, relatives and anyone else interested in learning the lifesaving skill who do not require any kind of certification for employment.
Methodist Healthcare will direct which parents receive the CPR kits, but anyone else interested can purchase them at cpr.heart.org.