CPR Professionals

12/19/2025

"My symptoms were vague. I could have explained most of them away with 1,000 different excuses (I'm a mom; I'm tired; I didn't eat anything; I was in a hurry), but for some reason that day, I kept saying to the ER doctor, 'Something is wrong. I'm not usually this exhausted. This is not normal,' and he listened. In a nutshell, he saved my life."

Kim survived a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and wants to make sure you don't take your heart for granted. Trust your instincts when something doesn't feel right. Advocate for your heart.

12/18/2025

Here’s a funny our supplier posted today. A big shout out to Laerdal Medical for supplying us with great CPR manikins🎄

12/17/2025

Remember hard and fast if you ever have to do CPR!

12/15/2025

We sell the Phillips AED because it is the fastest shocker on the market and also a great price. We promise to sell you a unit that is less than the best online price that we can find.

At 56, Michael underwent quadruple bypass surgery to open 5 blocked arteries to his heart.

"I got my plumbing fixed, and I felt more confident in my longevity compared to someone who hasn't had a tune-up," he said. But as a precaution, he bought an AED to keep at the remote tree farm in Vermont where he lived with his wife, Jill.

Less than a year later, it helped save his life.

Jill had been awakened by the sound of Michael gasping for air. She called 911 and yelled for their daughter Sophie, a nurse, who was visiting from Denver.

Sophie started chest compressions while Jill ran to get the AED. They traded off the role of delivering shocks and compressions. Two farmhands also joined in the rescue attempt.

It took the ambulance 35 minutes to arrive. By then, Michael had received three shocks from the AED and continuous CPR, and he had a faint pulse.

At the hospital, doctors stabilized Michael. When he woke up later that day, he couldn't see and had amnesia. But within 24 hours, those issues faded away. He had no detectable physical or cognitive deficits.

Doctors said that ventricular fibrillation brought on Michael's cardiac arrest. The abnormal heart rhythm is due to disorganized electrical activity that prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively. Michael got an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD. The device records and transmits data for remote monitoring, and if the device detects an abnormal heart rhythm, it can deliver a shock.

Six weeks after the cardiac arrest, Michael was back to work on the farm, but he left cutting down trees to his crew.

"The doctors told me it was a freak electrical issue," Michael said. "Now I've gotten my plumbing and electrical fixed. Plus, I'm being monitored remotely, so if anything goes wrong, they'll know it."

12/15/2025

Remember that you could never hurt someone more that needs CPR. They are already dying. Nothing is worse than that. Something is always better than nothing. Gift your family and friends this holiday season the gift of learning how to save a life. What a special gift that would be!

12/11/2025

After 40 minutes of shoveling heavy, wet snow, Kyle Wessels went into the house, sweating and overheated, much more than normal. He ripped off his jacket and sweatshirt. It only got worse. Out of nowhere, he felt an intense pressure on his chest.

He screamed his wife’s name, then dropped to the floor in pain. Michelle called 911. The EMTs arrived in under five minutes.

"You're having a heart attack."

One of the main arteries in his heart was blocked, preventing normal blood flow. Doctors inserted two stents to open the blockage and implanted a pump to keep his heart beating properly. Doctors told Kyle the blockage was likely caused by a piece of plaque breaking off. But they couldn't understand why he had plaque buildup in the first place. He was healthy, fit, and ate a healthy diet.

"I realized how some things are out of your control," he said. "I had some dark days. It was a very humbling time." He reached out to friends. He became connected with fellow heart patients. Hearing their stories helped.

These days, all is well. After experiencing an irregular heartbeat during rehab, Kyle has an implantable pacemaker and cardiac defibrillator to make sure his heart maintains a normal rhythm. He’s even more mindful of his diet and is as active as ever; golf is his top passion.

But shoveling snow? Never again.

12/01/2025

11/29/2025

Happy small business Saturday! We love being your go to CPR trainers for the last 20 years.

11/27/2025

Like most people who become caregivers, Carol Coulther had no warning. In 2016, her husband, Rich, had a stroke. And the whirlwind of demands began.

Suddenly she was in charge of keeping track of doctors and monitoring his care. He’d been devastated, physically. “It took six weeks before he could move a finger,” she said. As her husband began to make progress, Carol was planning for what life would be like when he was discharged.

Carol is now a volunteer leader of the American Heart Association’s Support Network online Stroke Caregiver group. Here’s some of her advice.

🗒️ Stay organized. “I went into teacher mode,” Carol said. “I got a binder, and I made dividers for doctors, medications, what therapists were saying.” They kept track of appointments and home visits on a big calendar on the refrigerator.

❓ Learn how to ask questions. Being a medical advocate is a huge part of being a caregiver. If something doesn’t seem right, ask for clarification. “If I wanted to talk to a nurse or a doctor, I would say, ‘When is a good time?’ I always got a good response from doing it that way.”

🆘 Ask for help. Ask the health care team what programs are available for their specific situation. Carol and her husband leaned on family, and she continues to draw on support from other survivors and caregivers online, including the Support Network.

😲 Expect things to change. Nothing about caregiving stays the same for long. In Carol’s case, that was often a good thing, as her husband kept improving. But even that meant “as soon as we got something working and we got a routine going, everything would change.”

☺️ Take care of yourself. Carol understands that taking your focus off a loved one is almost impossible at first. But over time, caregivers can find ways to ease into taking breaks. “You have to do it slowly. Maybe just going in the back and reading is enough.”

🙏 Hold onto hope. Caregiving is all-consuming and exhausting, especially in the beginning. “There’s just no answer for that,” Carol said. But she tells people to keep looking ahead. “You just have to kind of get through it, and it will get better.”

11/27/2025

Wishing you a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving day!🦃

11/18/2025

In 2022, EMT, Marine and firefighter Willie set out to run a 10K road race. But just one mile in, his heart stopped. Fellow runners rushed to help, performing CPR and using an AED for 20 minutes until EMTs arrived. Because they took action, Willie survived.

At Heart Walk, survivors like Willie are celebrated as communities come together to create health and hope for every heartbeat. Every walker who joins and every dollar donated means more people trained in CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone.

Survivors like Willie are proof that extraordinary things happen when people take action.

11/17/2025

It was New Year’s Eve when Karen felt intense shoulder pressure and tightness in her jaw. “It didn’t feel like the dramatic heart attack symptoms I’d seen on TV but I knew something wasn’t right.” She called a neighbor to watch her dog, then called 911.

Her heart attack was caused by 100% blockage in her right coronary artery. She later learned she had high LDL (bad) cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) can cause fatty buildup in the arteries, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke.

“I’ve always considered myself healthy. I exercised regularly, avoided fast food and managed stress well. I never thought high LDL cholesterol would be an issue for me. I later learned that genetics played a role.”

During her recovery, Karen learned she wasn’t alone through the American Heart Association’s Support Network. Her advice to others:

“If you’re newly diagnosed with high LDL, ask questions. Learn everything you can about your risk factors. And know this: you are not alone. There is help, there is hope, and there is healing ahead.”

Proudly supported by Amgen