Lori Alhadeff, who lost daughter in Parkland shooting, wants to equip schools with lifesaving Stop the Bleed kits
PARKLAND – In an emergency, every second counts – especially when a victim is bleeding out.
It's why Lori Alhadeff, who lost her daughter Alyssa in the Parkland school shooting, wants to equip schools with the tools to try to save lives.
"I decided to turn my pain and grief into action and create a nonprofit organization called Make Our Schools Safe. Our mission is to empower students and staff to help create a and maintain a culture of safety and vigilance in a secure school environment," said Alhadeff.
On Monday, Alhadeff's nonprofit group Make Our Schools Safe announced the donation of 298 Stop the Bleed Kits to Cypress Bay High School in Weston.
The items in the kit could be the difference between life and death.
"When you look at the statistics in Sandy Hook, most of those children could have survived had there been Stop the Bleed kits," said Cypress Bay student Noah Horowitz. "I feel having them at Cypress Bay would be a huge step forward God forbid there is something."
That's one kit for every classroom and common area.
Since Alhadeff lost her daughter, she's become school board member and an advocate for school safety reform, working with elected leaders to try to bring about potentially life-saving changes.
"This is a surreal gathering. The fact that we have a gathering that focuses on having Stop the Bleed kits to prevent children and teachers from bleeding out after being shot by a killer who comes in with a weapon of war, it takes your breath away," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Wasserman Schultz, whose own children attended Cypress Bay, says the kits are important, but stresses more reform is needed.
"I hold on to hope that we can pass even the smallest measure of progress in the next two weeks. I'm doubtful, but any progress we make we know can save lives," she said.
The kits will be placed in classrooms over the summer.
"These medical kits equipped with tourniquets, compression badges, blood-clotting gauze, provide potential lifesaving measures in the event of emergency. Time equals life and every second counts," said Alhadeff.
The district and the Broward Sheriff's Office offer training to make sure people, especially teachers, would know how to use the kits in the event of an emergency.