MedEd Redding - American Heart Association BLS CPR First Aid

07/30/2025

Most people don't know heart disease claims more lives in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths combined! 💔

Join the American Heart Association in the battle against this deadly disease. Your support helps power groundbreaking research and vital programs.

Be a champion for heart health. Donate today at spr.ly/6008N4ma0 and help save lives! ❤️

07/29/2025

Wherever 9-year-old Adeline goes, her AED is probably with her.

She was born with a long QT syndrome, a condition that could cause her heart to malfunction at any moment. The automated external defibrillator could save her life.

Adeline's parents, Alessandra and Aaron Dinin, learned about the heart problem on the day Adeline was born. A week later, she had surgery. Adeline has lived a mostly ordinary life, except for the AED, and her mission to raise awareness on social media.

Adeline enjoys creating content for her more than 4,000 followers at http://spr.ly/6183fJpNW. In one video post, she dances near an AED with the caption, "Wait, do you know where an AED is?"

"I love making the dance videos," Adeline said.

"It's to increase awareness about long QT syndrome, to get people thinking about AEDs and notice them, and to encourage people to get CPR trained," Alessandra said. "We've been contacted by people from all over the world and we try to help as best as we can."

Adeline doesn't know if her social media posts have directly led to any lives being saved. But she does know that her heart condition made a difference in one life – her dad's.

"Aaron had this condition all along, and he hadn't been treated," Alessandra said. "Adeline was essentially her dad's guardian angel."

Aaron and Adeline's devices and medicines give the family peace of mind. Every day, the Dinins are grateful for Adeline's team.

"If she hadn't been diagnosed right away, we could have found her one day in her crib not breathing," Alessandra said. "We were so fortunate she got diagnosed on day one of her life so we have the infrastructure in place to keep her safe."

07/14/2025

When Tara was born in 1974, her skin was blue from a lack of oxygen in her body. She had a congenital heart defect called transposition of the great arteries, in which the two main arteries in her heart were reversed. Back then, surgeons didn't operate on a newborn's heart. After an agonizing year, Tara underwent a procedure to fix the flow of blood.

Once she healed, her parents became determined for her to have as normal a childhood as possible. "I tried to do everything," Tara said. "I did dance classes as a kid. I tried to do softball. I stunk, but I tried."

At 23, when Tara was engaged to her future husband, Julian, she asked her pediatric cardiologist about having children. The doctor's response "was devastating."

A different cardiologist – one who specialized in adult patients -- told Tara that other women who'd overcome the same heart defect had gone on to safely deliver a child and thought she could, too. As a precaution, the doctor recommended that she have a pacemaker implanted to regulate her heart rate.

In 2002, at age 27, she delivered a daughter named Abigail. Both mother and baby Abby came through fine.

Two months later, Tara had her first episode of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, an irregular heart rhythm. The AFib would become serious enough that at 38, doctors replaced her pacemaker with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, that would restart her in the event of a cardiac arrest.

The ICD has saved her life twice. Since then, she’s celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary and Abby’s college graduation.

Tara has been told that she'll probably need a heart transplant. But that's in the future. Now, she's responding well to a game plan that includes a change in medications.

"So, I'm just going to go live my life," she said. "I'm gonna do as much as I can."

07/13/2025

Another fun course renewing staff at Northridge Eye Care. Third time bringing AHA BLS to NEC ❤️ they have an AED and know how to use it! Thanks to our amazing team of instructors Patty Bradlyn, FNP, Yvette Johnson, RCIS, Merri Golenor & Stephanie Pierce 👏

07/13/2025

06/26/2025

Good First Aid advice! https://www.facebook.com/cityofredding/posts/pfbid0w5Z9CJnCsoEt79prtXfdgsv5WHoVsjdRE57H85zbbW2w4Ps1j3VK3APh5CT1eoogl

It's been a bit of a mild summer so far, but when those temperatures creep into the triple digits, it’s always a good idea to have a few summer cooling tricks up your sleeve! Here’s a great one to keep in mind from the City of Redding Electric Utility:

Cool down your pulse points by running cold water or an ice pack on your wrists, ankles, and neck. Just a minute of cooling on these areas can help cool your entire body without having to adjust the thermostat.

06/18/2025

06/18/2025

Celebrating my 10th year on Facebook. In business since 1997 🥳 Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. We know CPR and can help!

06/18/2025

Our team Dennis, Scott, Laverne and myself had a great time teaching the kids Ninja Coalition HQ ❤️ our community is safer with these students train to call 911, Quality chest compressions and to use an AED when it is available. Thanks for having us return for another course!

05/31/2025

04/12/2025

hantavirus has caused deaths in Sierra County CA . If working around areas where rodents habit mask and glove up!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hantavirus Deaths Reported in Eastern Sierra Region

Loyalton, CA – April 9, 2025
Mono County has reported three recent deaths in the Mammoth Lakes area caused by hantavirus infection, a tragic reminder that, although rare, hantavirus can be extremely serious and often deadly.

What is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is carried by deer mice, and people become infected by breathing in dust contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. This often happens when cleaning cabins, sheds, garages, or other closed-up spaces where mice have been present.

Key Facts:
Hantavirus is not spread from person to person.
Symptoms usually begin 1 to 5 weeks after exposure and may include fever, body aches, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Cough and shortness of breath may develop after a few days and can lead to respiratory failure and death.
There is no specific cure, but early intensive medical care increases survival chances.

California typically sees three cases of hantavirus per year. With three deaths already this year, the state is well above its average.

Prevention Tips:
Seal any openings larger than ¼ inch where mice can enter, and
use snap traps indoors; avoid sticky traps.

Store food in rodent-proof containers.

Keep woodpiles at least 100 feet from homes or buildings.

Safe Cleaning Practices:
Air out closed buildings for at least 30 minutes before cleaning.
Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings, as this can stir up virus particles.

Spray droppings, nests, or carcasses with a 10% bleach solution or a virus-killing disinfectant and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before wiping.

Inspect vehicles, especially the heating and air conditioning systems, for signs of rodent activity.

Rodent-proofing homes and workplaces is important. Mice can enter through very small gaps under doors, around windows, and where pipes or vents pass through walls. Heating and air conditioning ducts should also be checked regularly for holes or damage.

If you or someone you know develops a fever and has been exposed to rodents or cleaned an area with rodent activity, seek medical attention immediately and inform your provider about the possible exposure.

More information is available at the California Department of Public
Health website:
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/pages/hantaviruspulmonarysyndrome.aspx

And on Sierra County’s website:
https://www.sierracounty.ca.gov/658/Hantavirus

Stay safe and help spread awareness.