American Heart Association and ZOLL team up in Pittsburgh for World Restart a Heart Day
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Wednesday is World Restart a Heart Day -- a day to remind people about the importance of CPR training.
Today – the American Heart Association and ZOLL teamed up to relaunch a hands-only CPR training kiosk.
The National Institute of Health says 9 out of 10 people suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital. Most of them don't receive CPR. That's why Wednesday's message is important — be prepared and be ready.
Alex Pichi is on the other side of a near-death experience.
"It was actually while I was wake-surfing in the back of a boat – and I dropped in the water," he said.
"It" -- was a sudden cardiac arrest.
"My father-in-law dove in the water immediately after seeing me in the water – and started performing CPR in the water," Pichi said.
That CPR saved Pichi's life. He's now on a mission to help others.
"We can really save more lives," Pichi said.
On this World Restart a Heart Day, it's a reminder that one of the tools to train people is right in our backyard.
"It's the most visited AHA hands-only CPR kiosk in the country," Jason Brown, Carnegie Science Center Director, said.
It's had a big impact.
"Over the years, this kiosk has attracted over 100,000 visitors, and trained over 70,000 people in this life-saving skill," Brown said.
A skill that…
"When you are done with it -- the 3-5 minutes that you spend standing in front of this?" Matthew Sousa, Executive Director of American Heart Association Pittsburgh, said. "You can save a life."
For the American Heart Association and ZOLL, it's about preparing as many people as possible.
"The nation of lifesavers is having one person in every household – ready to perform hands-only CPR," Sousa said.
Something Alex Pichi experienced first-hand.
"As we've seen in my family – you never know when this is going to happen," he said.