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Kansas City couple shares message about CPR's importance

Posted at 12:19 PM, Feb 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-15 13:19:57-05

A man who survived a heart attack credits CPR for saving his life, and he and his wife are teaching others about how vital it can be.

Rick Worrel, president of Affinis, is a heart attack survivor. He said he was running a 5K in Kansas City and collapsed toward the end of it. He had no heartbeat for 15 minutes.

Rick said he wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for hands-only and bystander CPR.

Worrel learned that bystanders did CPR for eight minutes. And then first responders continued for eight more minutes. Worrel was shocked three times before they found a pulse.

His wife Susan was there within a couple minutes. She said someone running beside Rick saw him go down. That person turned him over and started compressions.

Two people traded time doing compressions. Rick Worrel ended up having no heart muscle damage and no brain function impairment. 

The family's message is to know what to do if someone collapses. Call 911 and then push hard and push fast. The tempo from "Stayin' Alive" is a good guide for how fast to push.

Find more information and resources at www.shopcpranytime.org

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