European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Saving graces Susie and Ken Ayers have a Mission teaching right responses to life threatening emergencies by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer li1 i Lalo is let Mil evangelists Susie and Ken Ayer preach their message to Al who will listen anti some who won t the fervent pair focuses not on saving souls however i he bed Cross Volunteer str Clors a Holland am out to save lives and want others to he equipped to it to the same i get a Little crazy and enthusiastic about to tongs i believe Susie Ayers Sac learning How to help someone requires such Quot a minuscule investment of Lime r compared to the Nind you can do that s what drives me so Era a. She and he a hand exhort people to devote ust a Quot it it or so him to learning cardiopulmonary a i s it atm people a its not going to happen to me,1 a she a ii ring s happen it can happen Quot Stic Points to an incident in March reported in the stars and stapes m which an american woman relied on her Junior High training m car to save a German woman who had collapsed in the Tram station in Heidelberg Germany. At age 17, Susie Ayers helped a Man who had collapsed in a shopping mall after he failed to take his heart medication she faced one More such Quot right time wrong place Quot incident before she joined a Hospital staff there she said she used her skills More times than she i ares to count sometimes people have to experience a real life 11sis before they recognise the need to be prepared said Ken Ayers an air Force master sergeant assigned to Allied Lorens Central Europe Headquarters in run sum i to said that having to accompany a very sick Man Down a Mountain in Turkey in 1976 prompted him to go for More framing so Many lives could to saved if just a Small percentage of the population Learned the Basic i Saemg techniques Susie Ayers said pleadingly she admitted she carries her Soapbox everywhere. Mon1 than once she s blurted to a Young Mother Chat Aie you Gong to do if your baby chokes9 have a my locked out a car course9&Quot he couple has volunteered to teach a course in the Ai cd n i Community anytime six people sign up for it at the local red Cross i to classes which they have Sis Loi Emoiy Sawyer Susie Ayers brings religious Zeal to her classes on cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Taught together since 1984, require Quot a lot of work Quot Susie Ayers says Quot but if one person goes out and makes the difference it s Worth Many of the pair s students have done just that. Just a few Days after a 14-year-old girl had completed a special class the ayerves taught in the Boston area the girl spotted a woman 81/?-months pregnant who appeared to be slipping into Shock. The tee Viager did no to know All the medical terms for what the woman was experiencing but she recognized the danger signs and ordered Security guards to Call an ambulance Susie Ayers said. Medical personnel found the woman was experiencing Placenta Previn which causes painless Haemorrhaging. The girl s Quick response enabled doctors to save the Mother and deliver the baby by caesarean Section. A couple of weeks later the teen approached Susie Ayers at a meeting. Susie Ayers recalled her eyes being Quot As wide As saucers Quot when she shrieked Quot it really works. I did it a Quot when stuff like that happens Quot she said with a Grin Quot i know in a going to keep on teaching a despite the Reward of hearing of their former students successes the ayerves Tell class members that they Hope the students never have to use the skills they re taught. Yolanda Estep of the accent area red Cross said she a Quot petrified Quot by the thought of having to use what she Learned in the ayerves Basic life support class. Nevertheless she recognizes its importance especially As her father already has suffered one mild heart attack. Quot they sold me on what they Estep said. Quot you be got to be prepared Quot said air Force staff sgt. Richard Bailey who took leave from his unit in maastricht to attend the class Quot you May never use it but you have to know you can do it Quot said the father of two Small children. Quot if you re the Only one there and you can t do it kiss the person goodbye Quot the Basic life support class takes the Community car class one step further by teaching such skills As two person car and using a resuscitation mask. Sgt. 1st class Ernest Romero attended the class to be re certified. Has he Ever used car Quot thank goodness no Quot he said. Quot but you never Estep called the class Quot entertaining arid informative Quot a polite Way of describing the couple s teaching style which includes ample doses of humor and sarcasm. Want to know whether to remove a victims dentures when performing Mouth to Mouth resuscitation Ken Ayers tells students to imagine blowing into a piece of raw liver with a Slit in it placed Over a Jar when teaching who legally should not be Given car Ken Ayers talks of Quot crispy critters Quot or Quot a piece of meat left on the Barbecue too Long Quot people might not remember third degree Burns Over ? 00 percent of the body but they will remember the other images he said fear is Normal panic is Normal the ayerves assure the group. However when crisis strikes Quot faint on your own time Quot they instruct Quot we play off each other Quot Susie Ayers said of their unorthodox approach. Quot we have a lot of fun with but when it s time to test students on paper and in practice they Cut no Slack. Quot we re going to be looking for Quality Strong Quality Quot Susie Ayers shouts As students break from their desks and head for the mannequins that resemble real victims lying in the hallways of the Schiesberg education Center Quot they re definitely into it Quot Estep said of the ayerves dedication. Quot they re not getting paid for it How could they not when heart and breathing Stop change in a heaving number of breathe cardiopulmonary resuscitation involves Clearing the Airway and maintaining breathing and circulation. Since widespread training began the technique has been changed. The head is no longer positioned in a pronounced tilt to let air in because the neck May be broken. The Chest and Back Are no longer pounded. The ratio of restorative breaths to Chest Massage has changed to two breaths to every 15 Chest compressions. Source american heart association red Cross offers a lot of class at a Little Cost staff sgt. Richard Bailey hits the floor with a $1,500 car practice mannequin. A amps of Mary Soyar people who want to learn How to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation need Only Contact their nearest red Cross station according to the organization s european area Headquarters. If a class is not scheduled one will be arranged if Ai least six students show an interest said William Haney health and safety specialist for the european area Headquarters of the american red Cross. Last year 37,826 people took time out to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 5,947 red Cross classes conducted by volunteers in Europe the Middle East and Africa Haney said people should t be discouraged by the six student minimum said Yolanda Estep of the accent area Rod Cross. Quot six people is nothing 1 she said Quot that s your friends and Haney said services Erners May be Able to take courses offered by certified red Cross instructors in their units. In fact units that work with electrical equipment Are required to offer periodic classes in car Community child development services also provide classes specializing of course in classes for performing car on children and infants Haney the red Cross offers four types of car classes these Are car for infants and children adults Community for adults and youngsters and Basic Lite support which is Community car plus instruction in using a resuscitation mask and two person car. Classes offered in the United Stales often Cost three or four times Mure than those provided through the 1 10 red Cross stations overseas Haney said. Oversea Quot the Rod Cross is Able to use military facilities drastically cutting overhead costs. Quot people May take Rod Cross courses Lor granted. Step said Quot in the states they charge Cut coup Bucks Quot students in Europe pay the cos of their books and a Small surcharge to cover administrative expenses and depreciation costs for the materials such As the mannequins which can Cost As much As $1 500 in h to replace i Fie Community car Book cosh shout i the Basic life support guide add an additional the surcharge varies by Community hut Norm i does not exceed $10 most communities Haney said students in the Basic life support class also can choose to buy their own mask for about $10 f fancy esk mated that there Are about 5,000 instructors qualified to Tench the 20 red crop. Coor a offered at bases m Europe some of the other courses include instructor if Didun tunning. San guard first Aid and Waw / n a tuesday. June 9 1992 the stars and stripes b 1
