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Enjoying the gentle busyness retirement has to offer, Heather Dewar, former CPR instructor of more than 25 years, went about her day like any other. Then, when her neighbour collapsed, Heather’s years of experience told her exactly what she needed to do next.

When six-year-old Jaycee's mom became unconscious, Jaycee knew how to call 911 for help. Her story shows how real-world scenarios often call on children to respond to challenges. Here’s how to help them be ready like Jaycee.

It’s November, the temperature is -5 degrees, and it’s snowing. June looks outside and decides to shovel her driveway.  Her driveway is not very big and she feels can get it done before her guests arrive. About halfway through shoveling the driveway, June begins to feel a little nauseous.  She tries to finish but the more she continues the more nauseous she gets. Now, she is beginning to get extremely tired. 
 

The evening in February began as a celebration of the Okotoks Dawgs baseball team at its annual banquet dinner – and ended early when the guest speaker had a medical emergency.

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member and renowned sports journalist and author Bob Elliott was just minutes into his speech when he went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness.
 

What would you say if I told you that you had the power to save a life in your community?  Would you believe me?  Saving a life is easier than you might think. November is CPR month and as a paramedic, I can’t stress enough how important bystander CPR is in the chain of survival when a persons’ heart stops. 
 

When Inga Sloan arrived at Canadian Forces Base Borden to teach a Canadian Red Cross CPR/AED first aid course, she had no idea she would be teaching the people who would save her life.
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Sometimes first aid means checking an unresponsive patient’s airway, breathing and circulation. Sometimes it means recognizing the symptoms that could lead to self harm, or supporting someone through a panic attack.
“We always say if someone is hurt, we can help them,” says Diane Story, who has been a first aid educator at the Red Cross for almost 40 years, adding that this doesn’t always mean physically. “Sometimes they are hurt in a different way.”

Knowing basic first aid can help save lives. But if you’re more comfortable learning in a language other than English, it may be more challenging to find a first aid course. More than 50 per cent of the population in B.C.’s Lower Mainland speaks a language other than English at home. Luckily, Choi, who had to administer first aid on her infant daughter, was able to take first aid and disaster preparedness lessons in Chinese last year.