High School Receives CPR Certification

CORDOVA, TN (WMC) - An entire Mid-South high school campus is now certified to save a life.

More than 800 people at St. Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova now have necessary CPR skills.

Hands to chest and mouth to mouth, students and faculty at St. Benedict at Auburndale are learning lifesaving skills.

"It's very rewarding to be able to know that you have the ability to help someone when they are in emergent need," student Emma Van Epps said.

Through a grant from the Speer Charitable Trust, CPR training at the school was provided to nearly 800 people through the support of The Red Cross and Baptist Hospital Foundation.

The tragic death of a former student inspired the curriculum.

"Our student section is titled The Nest and that was after one of our graduates, Gerald Blum, who passed away of a heart-related disorder. So it started as a conversation," St. Benedict principal Sondra Morris said. "The kids wanted to be able to help."

In memory of Blum, the school also grants wishes for terminally ill children and hosts an annual 5K run in his honor.

St. Benedict is the only school in the state of Tennessee to have the entire campus CPR-certified.

Students said in the event of a crisis, when seconds count, their training has prepared them to provide critical care inside and outside the classroom.

"I think it's a very important life skill," Van Epps said. "Something that more people should be able to do."

"You never know what position you may be in, where you may have to use CPR," student Zion Beard said.

Learn, Enjoy and Save Life. HealthForce Training Center offer services such as Basic Life Support (BLS), Advance Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS), CPR AED, Pediatric First Aid CPR AEDand First Aid CPR AED. Read more of our blogs.