Don’t be afraid to become a Citizen Responder!
Théo, 20 years old, a Parisian student and member of the Civil Protection, intervened last fall in the Paris region. He testifies:
I have always had a vocation to help, a fireman since the age of 12, I did not hesitate to join the Citizen Responders.
On Sunday, November 22, in the early afternoon, I was on the phone when a shrill ringing interrupted my conversation. I hung up without explaining to the person what was going on, and I saw that a cardiac arrest was reported near my home. Without thinking, in a few seconds, I accept and I find myself in the street. I could see very well where it was located as it is a route I often take.
I run, an operator calls me to help me find the precise location. The victim was in a public garden: less than 5 minutes after the triggering, I was at his side. The witness was massaging the victim, I took over after having verified in one second that the person was in cardiac arrest. The Paris Fire Department and then the SAMU arrived quite quickly after I started CPR.
Finally, CPR is something very repetitive (in the sense that it is always the same thing). I didn’t need to think about the order of things to do and I surprised myself afterwards with this automatism. The adrenaline rush helps to be efficient in these situations, and allows you to forget any apprehension you might have.
After about 15 minutes of resuscitation, the rescue teams restarted the heart. I have since heard from the victim, first from his distraught wife, then from the victim himself. He is fine, has no after-effects and is recovering. He told me he even went back to the place where it happened. Maybe we will meet one day…
I will remember for a long time that Sunday, and the moment when the doctor announced that the heart was beating again. It was for me the second Cardiac Arrest, but it was the first time that the heart started again! First victory over death!
You must register, you must train, you must do CPR.
Do not be afraid to become a Citizen Responder! Because the moment you show up at a victim in cardiac arrest, that person is dead. The worst thing you can do is nothing. The only risk is to save their life!