I visited your website. My heart was touched by the love you have for your son. My father collapsed from SCA when I was younger (twice), although I was lucky that he survived both times. So CPR training is very near and dear to my heart as well. I thank you for spreading awareness of compression-only CPR.
-Christina Casey, Uwchlan Ambulance Corps, Chester County
Christina Casey is the training coordinator at Uwchlan Ambulance Corps in Exton, PA. We recently reached out to UAC to build a partnership within the community to promote learning CPR+AED skills within our youth athletic organizations, beginning with the Marsh Creek Eagles Football and Cheer Club whose safety director, David Van Brunt, recently asked for our help in training is members. Little did we expect the abundance of enthusiasm we were met with! Christina spoke passionately about her work at Uwchlan Ambulance, the desire to bridge the connection between the corps and local youth sports leagues, and especially about her four children. Her youngest, a rising Sophomore at Owen J. Roberts, plays competitive soccer in the area. Having her father’s near-fatal cardiac arrest events in the back of her mind, Christina is passionate about the need for CPR-trained staff and availability of AEDs where young people participate in athletic activity.
As we spoke about training local coaches, parents and players to recognize the signs of sudden cardiac arrest and to know how to respond in a cardiac emergency, Christina recalled the tragic death of a West Catholic high school football player at neighboring Coatesville High School just three weeks ago. Knowing that the chances of survival decrease 10% every minute before an AED is applied, she agreed that it is imperative that teams are prepared for the upcoming sports season.
As I tell all of the students in my classes, the faster we can get a person assistance from someone who knows CPR, the better their chances of survival. And I always ask them to consider showing what they learned to a friend or family member.
Aidan’s Heart Foundation is proud to partner with Christina and her colleagues at Uwchlan Ambulance Corps to offer a free community training event, which will take place on Sunday, September 26, 2021. Thank you, Christina, for your cooperation and enthusiasm as we make plans for this training and explore the possibility of providing free CPR certification for our local youth sports coaches, parents and players. More details coming soon!
“They are my EVERYTHING” — Christina’s four children, “then and now”