The year was 1973...

As I was putting on my one piece gym suit (also referred to by my classmates as the "Blue monkey suit" (Also known as workout attire) the PE teacher announced we were going to learn how to perform CPR.  My body felt totally frozen in time.  All I could picture in my mind is how much I wanted to hide in my locker for the day.  The manikin smell from the bleach will forever be in my memory banks.  As it became closer to my turn to demonstrate my skills I
kept hearing the instructor's voice saying the words of each step.  The next thing I remember I am performing CPR on my father in my parents living room. I was only 15 yrs old on April 3, 1973 when this life changing event happened.   911 had not been developed and would not be implemented into our community until 1983 a year after my first child had been born.  

My mother frantically searches to find the number to call for an emergency.  I helped my father lay flat on the
living room floor and as I gave him two breaths I could again hear my gym teacher's voice telling me what CPR skill to perform next.  I put the heel of my hand in the center of the lower half of the breastbone and started to pump hard and fast. . .

Al Bowman died 10 days after this photo was taken. December 25th, 1976 would be the last Christmas for his family would be together. 

On January 5, 1977 a woman lost her husband and two sisters lost their brother and two daughters lost their father. 

Our community did not have the 911 system, cardiologists and AEDs had not been invented.  

His youngest daughter had  learned CPR and performed it on him twice before his death.   This began her journey to findng the passion to teach others life saving skills. She became an AHA Instructor then began to teach Instructors which built the foundation to creating the company she is proud to call Healthy U Educators AHA Training Site.

Changing lives..Making a Difference