Your Red Cross Update

By Alex Keilty

There was that one time Ian Wigley gave CPR to a gentleman at a card game, and then there were those other times — at a wedding, a family gathering, and a restaurant — that he helped people who were choking. It’s fair to say that Ian, an Instructor Trainer with the American Red Cross, has a great track record for saving lives. 

Ian teaches frequent first aid classes and says the training is important because, “You CAN help somebody. It will give you the skills and confidence to help until the Emergency Medical Service arrives.”

Ian’s classes include adult and child CPR, choking, how to stop life-threatening bleeding and how to use a defibrillator.

In addition to the people Ian has helped directly, there are also his students who go on to save the lives of others. 

One especially rewarding experience was when a student he had previously taught rushed to tell him how they had been able to assist a coworker who went into cardiac arrest. That man recovered and eventually went back to work.

“I was kind of emotional,” Ian said. “I was excited they were able to help somebody. They had managed to keep calm and do what needed to be done.” 

Gabrielle Valdez and Andreina Pardo attended a recent class taught by Ian. They were on a quest to get certified in first aid for their new jobs in child care.

“Before the class I felt nervous,” Gabrielle said. “Now I feel much more confident.”

They learned how to perform CPR, treat choking, and stop life-threatening bleeding. The Red Cross course they opted for was conducted partly online and partly in person.

“It’s important because you can save someone’s life,” Andreina said. “It’s to be better prepared.”

If you want to feel more confident that you can handle a first aid emergency, you can sign up for Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED skills courses at www.redcross.org.