Retired Teacher's Life Saved by Colleagues
Physical Education teachers Cynthia and Thomas had arrived early at school the morning they heard an emergency called out over the PA system at Westmount Secondary School. Tom, a retired teacher who was offering supply coverage that day, had collapsed.
“We headed for the main office where we found Tom on the floor on his side,” Cynthia says. “He was unresponsive and making snoring type of sounds.” Tom was showing signs of agonal breathing. “I took a deep breath,” says Cynthia, “and reminded myself, OK, let’s just do what we know how to do.”
While the school’s secretary, Sandra, called 911, Geeta, the principal, got the AED. Cynthia rolled Tom onto his back and attached the AED pads. The device advised a shock followed by CPR. After the AED shock, Cynthia performed CPR compressions while Thomas encouraged and supported her.
“This was physically and emotionally challenging, yet I remained calm and felt very capable due to many years of teaching students through ACT,” recalls Cynthia. “I tell my students that it is likely going to be someone you know whose life you may save.”
The fire crew arrived, taking over Tom’s care and transporting him to hospital. Today, Tom has a clean bill of health from his cardiologist.
I wouldn’t be here had it not been for the expertise of the staff, the training, and the school’s AED. CPR is so important, vital in saving lives and I’m grateful to be living proof of that. — Tom
Remarkably, the incident inspired Tom to return to teaching. “It inspired me to go back,” he says. “I knew I had more to give. Here I am and doing what I love, still giving back,” he says, with emotion. “They were truly my heroes.”
“The bottom line,” says Cynthia, “everyone should be trained.”
The ACT Foundation established the ACT High School CPR and AED Program at Westmount Secondary School in Hamilton in 2017 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 through this lifesaving program to date.