The American Heart Association (AHA) announced the launch of the Nation of Lifesavers initiative during CPR & AED Awareness Week, featuring five compelling real-life CPR stories aimed at transforming public perception and increasing survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest. According to the AHA, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, often because immediate CPR is not administered more than half the time.
Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, emphasized the urgency: “Nearly 2 out of 3 people believe only those with special training should perform CPR, a mistaken belief that costs lives.” The initiative seeks to shift CPR from a medical skill to a shared human responsibility, empowering anyone to act.
The inaugural Nation of Lifesavers Class includes five members who have personal survival or rescue stories: Philicia Baugh (49, Charleston, S.C.), who performed chest compressions on a loved one during a family trip; Kristen Walenga (52, Chicago, Ill.), whose four children performed CPR after she collapsed, including her son Eddie who learned CPR in school; Matthew Lynch (32, Cinnaminson, N.J.), who performed CPR on an unresponsive driver during his commute; Edward Marsh (59, Houston, Texas), who was revived by strangers and a friend on a dance floor; and Wallis Marsh (59, Houston, Texas), Edward’s twin, who used CPR skills to save his friend, former NFL player Jeff Tupper.
These volunteers will share their stories through media and community events, advocate for policies improving the chain of survival, and lead CPR training opportunities. The AHA notes that immediate CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use can double or triple survival chances, yet less than half of cardiac arrest victims receive bystander help.
The Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative aims to double the sudden cardiac arrest survival rate by 2030. The AHA encourages everyone to learn Hands-Only CPR by calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive.” Individuals can also take 90 seconds to learn CPR online and submit their own CPR stories. Walgreens is a proud national sponsor of the initiative.
More information and resources are available at heart.org/nation.
