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McALLEN — It’s difficult to know when an emergency situation may force you into action, but whether it’s compression- or hands-only CPR methods, knowing what to do at that moment can mean the difference between life and death.
That’s the urgency attendees and organizers displayed Thursday during the announcement of CPR training sessions in McAllen. For the Lopezes, that urgency feels very real.
“All of us need it,” Mary Jane Lopez, 66, said at Driscoll Health Plan in McAllen, adding that being CPR-certified prepares parents who have children with disabilities to be prepared for an emergency situation.
Her daughter is Viva Selena Lopez, 27, who’s been recognized in the past for her participation in events raising awareness for Down syndrome.
“We have a child that might need help one of these days … it gives the parents an opportunity to feel safe around their kids in case something goes wrong,” Mary Jane said.
Driscoll Health Plan announced its partnership with the Capable Kids Foundation on Thursday and presented the foundation with a $10,000 check to help provide free CPR training to families who have children with disabilities.
According to foundation CEO Bobbie Krynicki, the idea of providing this training to parents came after “several families voiced a concern that they weren’t going to be able to save their child’s life if something bad happened.”
So Krynicki and her team conducted a survey to identify why families had trouble getting the necessary training. They found that the cost for CPR training was expensive and many were only in English, making it difficult for Spanish-only speakers to participate.
In order to help families gain the confidence for emergency response, the foundation partnered with various nonprofits to provide CPR and emergency care training.
“We decided to offer CPR training with Driscoll Health Plan as our sponsor to make it free for families in the RGV that were interested in taking it,” Krynicki said, adding that they have also partnered with other nonprofits such as Easterseals.
According to Edinburg native Xcarlet Reyes, 22, an American Heart Association-certified instructor who teaches CPR during the training, the program is a four-hour-long class available in both English and Spanish. They will focus on teaching families emergency care including CPR, choking and first aid care.
Throughout the class attendees will learn how to perform CPR on mannequins representing an adult, a child and an infant.
By the end of the course each parent who participates in the training will be CPR certified.
Delia Garza, community outreach coordinator for Driscoll Health Plan, explained that not only do they want to support families who receive the training but also want to encourage others in the community to get the same certification.
“It’s a life skill,” Garza said. “We all need to know it, not just parents but as an individual we need to make sure that we do know about CPR, because you never know. You could save a life.”
To enroll for the training call the Capable Kids Foundation at (956) 277-1776. Training sessions will be held across the Rio Grande Valley, with dates and locations pending.
