Damar Hamlin: Where you can sign up to learn CPR in the Miami Valley

WHIO Staff
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Millions of people watched as medical personnel rushed to help Damar Hamlin after the Buffalo Bills player went into cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.

>>RELATED: Damar Hamlin: NFL will not resume postponed Bills-Bengals game this week

Medics performed CPR on Hamlin, which was credited for saving his life on the field, but also brought a light on the importance of the life-saving procedure.

News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott got a first-hand demonstration from an area CPR educator to show how anyone could end up in a similar situation and could be the person to help save a life.

>> RELATED: ‘Deeply moved;’ Family of Damar Hamlin issues statement; Bills player remains in critical condition

Tyesha Jones, the owner of Gifted Hands Health Solutions told News Center 7 Tuesday that CPR certification only takes one two-hour class that provides a person will all the tools needed to perform the life-saving procedure.

>>RELATED: Nation’s first mobile hands-only CPR training kiosk coming to Miami Valley

“Just having the knowledge is key. We never know when an emergency is going to happen,” Jones said.

The American Heart Association reports more than 350,000 people a year will go into cardiac arrest and CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

“Every minute that passes by that we don’t start CPR, their chances decreased by 10 percent,” Jones said.

>>Damar Hamlin: Toy drive tops $3M after on-field cardiac arrest

Jones added people often sign up for classes because they want to be proactive, rather than reactive, before a life-saving situation would happen.

“I have people come in all the time and they would say, you know, something did happen. In front of me. I don’t even know if I would do anything,” she said.

“It’s just good for everybody to know on all levels, whether you’re a medical professional or not.”

If you’re looking to sign up for a class there are several providers across the region offering classes: