A Californian woman’s life has been saved thanks to her daughter and a high school program. Lori Dolan, of Sunnyvale, was watching a 49ers game with her family when she suddenly went into cardiac arrest. Her seventeen-year old daughter, Lindsay, sprang into action and immediately began CPR. Joey Gonzales, their neighbor, also assisted in compressions — it was the first time the pair had ever performed CPR.
Lindsay and Joey saved Lori’s life, providing her brain oxygen until paramedics arrived on the scene. Doctors praised the two’s heroic actions. Amazingly, Lindsay’s knowledge of CPR is because of Fremont High School. The school started a program in 2008 that required all incoming freshmen to learn CPR. All students were provided with a kit, which included a DVD and a practice mannequin. The project was the brainchild of Sunnyvale Public Safety Department Deputy Chief Steve Drewniany, and was funded with a two-year grant given by a local foundation.
This remarkable story has proved that no matter the amount of money and time spent, if it can save a life, it’s all worth it.