Empowering Canadian students to save hearts

Ottawa, ON, February 3, 2014 – February is Heart Month. Each year across Canada, more than 300,000 students are empowered to save hearts using the lifesaving skills learned through the ACT High School CPR and Defibrillator Program.

The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation is the national organization dedicated to establishing free CPR and defibrillator training in Canadian high schools. More than 2.6 million students have been trained to date.

With the support of ACT’s health partners (AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada and Sanofi), along with provincial and community partners, ACT has donated more than 50,000 durable mannequins to the schools, and over 6,000 teachers have been trained as CPR Instructors for their students.

Many students are saving lives:

Jenysse, 16, rushed to help when a man collapsed outside a gas station. “All I could think about was saving him, and it’s because of my training that I was able to do it.”

Thomas, 17, performed CPR to save a stranger who had collapsed on the sidewalk.

“We are thrilled with the support of ACT’s partners. Without them, this lifesaving program would not be possible,” says ACT Foundation Executive Director Sandra Clarke.

Alex, 17, saved her father with CPR. “When you’re in the moment, you don’t go back and think about your course – you just do it.”

For more rescue stories, visit https://actfoundation.ca/act-rescues/stories/ or view our rescue video at https://youtu.be/IWTSXcx2lpI.