ROANOKE, Va. – The Compress and Shock Foundation hosted its first “Run with Heart 5K” on Sunday, bringing together cardiac arrest survivors and community members despite rainy conditions to promote heart health awareness and CPR education.
“Our goal is to honor those who did not survive their sudden cardiac arrest and also to celebrate those that are here,” said Robert Foresman, a cardiac arrest survivor and event participant.
The event, held during Heart Health Month, highlights the foundation’s mission to provide free CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) education to the public. Over its nearly ten-year history, the organization has installed almost 400 AEDs in communities in need and trained more than 20,000 people in CPR techniques, all at no cost to participants.
Julia Bosset, who survived a sudden cardiac arrest at age 15, credits CPR training with saving her life. “My school resource officer was just doing her laps around the building, and she happened to be there at the right place right time,” Bosset said. “She came over right away and started giving me CPR within that minute. That was the crucial factor of me still being here today.”
The foundation’s work has garnered support from local healthcare providers. “This organization is able to get the lifesaving tools, training and resources into the community where it matters the most so that we can all together have the best chance of saving a life,” said Shayne Dwyer, spokesperson for LewisGale.
“They’re all about the education of CPR and learning it, and making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn it,” Bosset added. “I think that’s powerful because a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to get those resources.”
For more information about free CPR and AED training opportunities from the Compress and Shock Foundation, click here.