Verdict puts spotlight on CPR and Heimlich training

By Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)

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CPR

Clay Township Fire Marshall Dave Cherrone demonstrates CPR. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Sep 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM EST

Story Updated: Oct 4, 2009 at 10:12 PM EST

LaPORTE — A jury awarded a LaPorte mother $5 million after her son choked to death in the school cafeteria.

Maria Rosales sued the LaPorte Community School Corporation.

The lawsuit claimed the corporation did not properly train its staff in first aid, like the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.

The jury awarded $5 million, but Rosales is only eligible for $500,000 because of Indiana tort rules.

The school corporation says it believes staff members did everything they could in 2006 to save the 9-year-old.

Tragedies like this are a reminder of the need for first aid training; not just in schools or daycares. Experts say it's just as important for everyone.

An online survey this year by the American Heart Association found 89 percent of people were willing to do something to help if they witnessed a medical emergency. But only 21 percent said there were confident they could perform CPR.

Local fire departments say they offer training classes that take only a few minutes. Most of the time, the people who attend those classes are teachers, employees of a local business, or relatives of someone who is sick.

But Clay Township Fire Marshall Dave Cherrone said it’s important for everyone to learn.

“It’s a simple life-saving method that takes just minutes to learn, but it means a lifetime to somebody else,” said Cherrone.

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