New CPR Guidelines

American Heart Association

If you suffer a sudden cardiac arrest at home or work, your chances of surviving are only 8%. Eight percent!

What increases the chance of survival?  Immediate CPR and defibrillation.

That's one reason the American Heart Association changed it's  CPR Guidelines.  Here's the new sequence for non-trained bystanders:

1. Tap the victim and shout "Are you OK?"  
2. If the person doesn't respond, tell someone to call 911 and get an AED.  (Go find the AED in your office.)
3. Start chest compressions immediately.  The sooner you can use the AED, the better the outcome.  
4. NEW:  Untrained bystanders don't have to provide mouth-to-mouth or breathing support.  That's because AHA Science studies show that there's enough oxygen in the blood to support the patient in the first few minutes of the attack.  You can leave that to the experts.

Victims who received CPR and defibrillation within the first three minutes of the heart attack, had a 50% chance of survival.  That's a lot better than 8%!  So, get hands on!

So, why am I writing about CPR?  Because for the last 10 months, I've been reading more than 500 pages of scientific medical studies, interviewing expert doctors, and writing scripts for seven, 15-minute training videos that would become the basis of a new Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course for the American Heart Association. That work culminated in a 10-day shoot with Elephant Productions that was a little like shooting a movie.  Now, nearly ten months after starting the project, the new course is about to hit the training sites across the globe.

I'd like to think this project will save some lives.  You can too, just remember to follow the new hands-on CPR steps!

Foundation Communities

Foundation Communities

I love working with nonprofits - especially those that let you tell really powerful stories.  Foundation Communities is certainly one of those groups.

If you don't know, Foundation Communities is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing for families and individuals in Austin, Texas.  They rehabilitate old properties and even build new ones to accommodate their clients.  But they don't stop there.  They offer career and financial counseling, even free tax preparation.  This organization has had an amazing impact on our community - and has moved many from homelessness to success.

This is the second time I've worked through Elephant Productions to write, direct and produce a fundraising video for Foundation Communities.