The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club and their spouses participated in CPR training conducted by the Monument Fire Department and UC Health Cardiac Care nurses in March.

“Tri-Lakes Women’s Club members want to be sure that everyone in their household knows what to do in the event of a cardiac emergency,” TLWC said in a press release.

CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating.

“Although many of the club members themselves have already been trained in CPR, they want others in their home know what to do in case the TLWC member is the one who needs help,” TLWC said. “According to the American Heart Association, 74% of cardiac arrests that occur outside of a hospital, occur at home. And nearly half of those victims survive when a bystander performs CPR.”

The first TLWC CPR training was organized by member Carol Costakis to honor her son’s fiancé, Mary, a healthy and athletic young woman who suddenly went into cardiac arrest in December of 2019.

“Mary’s life was saved by bystanders who immediately jumped into action, performing CPR and using a nearby AED (automated external defibrillator) to shock her heart back into rhythm,” Costakis said.

Today, Mary has returned to her active lifestyle and is a strong advocate for CPR education. Her future mother-in-law, Costakis, shares that passion, and is helping to spread it throughout TLWC members and, apparently, their families.

The training was provided by members of the Monument Fire Protection District who regularly provide CPR and AED training to community members. Also, by health educators and Cardiac Care nurses from UC Health, who provide and participate in a broad range of community health initiatives and programs across the Colorado Front Range.

Laura and Roger Meurer were particularly appreciative of the feedback monitors attached to the CPR training mannequins.

“We were able to practice pumping the heart and reading the monitor to feel the pressure, depth and rhythm needed for successful CPR, which was very useful,” they said.

Carolyn and Gary Baker commented that

“The trainers from UC Health and MFD were great,” Carolyn and Gary Baker said. “They were patient and very responsive to our questions. The best part of the training was the hands-on time with the mannequins and using the AED. It provided us with the opportunity to practice the techniques we were taught, and to demonstrate that we could do CPR.”