Share Your Story: Kristin Brancheau

On December 9, 2007, the last thing I remembered before waking briefly in an ambulance on my way to the hospital, was leaving my three year old daughter's dance recital.  It wasn't until I woke up the next day that I was told that my heart had stopped beating due to an electrical issue.  

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Fortunately, there were two cardiologists and two nurses attending the recital who performed CPR on me for 13 minutes until EMS arrived with an AED.  It took two shocks to bring my heart back into a normal rhythm.

I am incredibly fortunate that these doctors were watching their daughters dance that day.  However, you don't have to be in the medical field to perform CPR, especially  now with Hands Only CPR.  I am very passionate about everyone learning CPR, especially children.  Every day there is another story of a young athlete dying of cardiac arrest.  If all Michigan high school students learn basic CPR prior to graduation, Michigan will gain 100,000 more CPR-trained lifesavers each year.  If we equip our schools with all of these "first responders," we will reduce the number of people who die from cardiac arrest.  In 2007, the fatality rate was 97%; currently, the rate is about 92% depending on where you live.  We are making headway.

You may think that number is insignificant, but my children, husband, family and friends would disagree.  I am so thankful to be here every day to enjoy life and it is all due to CPR.

 

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