Teens CPR Certification Saves Dads Life
Teen’s often question whether the lessons they learn in the classroom will ever be used in “real life”. Thirteen year old Lewis Griffith of Forestville, CA learned the crucial importance of his CPR certification the day his father’s life fell into his hands.
During the summer of 2014 Lewis heard a startling noise from the kitchen and rushed to the scene where he found his father on the floor, unresponsive and not breathing. Lewis ran outside to his mother and told her to call 911. When the dispatcher instructed them to perform CPR, Lewis stepped up to the plate and said he knew what to do.
Mrs. Griffith was stunned when her heroic young teen began his strategic compressions using the Hands Only CPR method on her husband’s chest. Neither Mr. or Mrs. Griffith we’re aware that Lewis had become CPR certified.
After 6 long minutes Forestville firefighters arrived to discover young Lewis administering CPR with courage and perfect form. Excited to see someone already performing CPR, the firefighter who relieved Lewis barely registered how young he was. It is rare for a first responder to arrive and observe an adolescent doing CPR, let alone a young man working on his unconscious father. The Forestville fire department commends Lewis’ bravery and his clarity of mind in the face of adversity.
Once 64 year old Mr. Griffith was safely in the care of doctors Mr. Griffith received the care and treatment he needed to be stabilized. At the side of his father’s hospital bed the doctor looked Lewis in the eye and said “you saved your dad’s life”.
Lewis became CPR certified during a P.E. class at Forestville Academy through a program called Saving Lives Sonoma, a partnership of paramedics, firefighters, and other advocates of CPR certification. Mr. Griffith is adamant that if his son did not receive the training while at school he would not be where his is today. He also believes that if Lewis had not administered CPR while they waited for the paramedics, he would not have been able to recover fully.
This challenging and frightening experience inspired the Griffith family, especially Mr. Griffith to stand up as advocates for integrating CPR certification into the curriculum of all school aged children. As parents we all hope that our children will never have to administer CPR. To loved ones, friends, or even strangers. However as Lewis Griffith has demonstrated, knowledge is power; and when you are CPR certified you have the power to save a life.
The method of CPR Lewis used on his father is the compression method in which the person administering CPR uses only their hands to compress the recipient’s chest in rhythm. This method is safe, effective, and as Lewis demonstrated can be performed even by a child. The American Heart Association is always re-evaluating the most effective and simple ways to properly and effectively perform CPR. The hands only method is highly recommended by the AHA and they also recommend everyone from adolescents to the elderly complete a CPR certification course. You never know when you may need to save a life