Hamilton Woman Saves Her Mother’s Life with CPR
When 25-year-old Maia was at home one April evening, she never imagined she would be called on to save her mother’s life.
Maia, a Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School graduate from Hamilton, had first learned CPR in her Grade 9 physical education class. That training became critical when her mother suddenly collapsed while they were cleaning a room together.
At first, her mother thought she was having an allergic reaction. “She started to complain about discomfort, said she couldn’t breathe very well and had stomach pain. And then she fainted right in my arms,” Maia recalled. Suspecting a cardiac emergency, Maia called 911, placed her mother on the ground, and began chest compressions.
She performed CPR for about seven minutes until paramedics arrived. When they arrived, her mother had no vital signs. Paramedics defibrillated her twice in the home, and twice more in the ambulance, before transporting her to Hamilton General Hospital. There, doctors inserted two stents and placed her on life support. After four days, she woke up. Six months later, she returned to work as a dental hygienist and is now enjoying life as a new grandmother to a baby girl.
Hospital staff told Maia that her quick actions saved her mother’s life.
Looking back, Maia says her high school training gave her the skills she needed to act under pressure. “My Grade 9 CPR training was my foundation,” she said. “Without it, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
Today, Maia continues to volunteer at her former high school and is pursuing her dream of becoming a firefighter. She hopes her story inspires others to learn CPR.
Knowing CPR can only help people. You can’t miss the opportunity to save a life. If I could do it for my mom, I can do it for anyone. — Maia
The ACT Foundation established the ACT High School CPR and AED Program at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School in 2018 so teachers could train students, ensuring all students graduate with lifesaving skills.
ACT’s Ontario provincial partner is Hydro One and ACT’s national health partners are AstraZeneca Canada and Amgen Canada.
The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation is the award-winning, national, charitable organization establishing free CPR and AED training programs in high schools across Canada. ACT raises funds to donate mannequins and teacher training to schools, and guides schools in program set up and long-term sustainability. More than 6 million youth have been trained in CPR by their teachers to date and many are saving lives.