Heroic act spurs conversation for National CPR / AED Awareness Week

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- National CPR / AED Awareness Week is scheduled to run from June 1 - 7. To kick off the week of awareness, we were joined by a guest on Tuesday, May 30 who told the story of an act of heroism that led to being recognized at the American Heart Association Heart and Stroke Ball in February.

Jane Westreich, owner of Brew City Wellness, recounted her life-saving moment when she used CPR to revive her friend, Jill Belardi, during a tennis game that resulted in a cardiac arrest.

According to the American Heart Association, over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen annually in the United States. Regrettably, only 40% of these victims receive immediate bystander CPR, which could potentially triple their survival chances.

The American Heart Association recommends Hands-Only CPR, a technique entailing two steps: calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the chest center, maintaining a rhythm of 100-120 beats per minute.

To learn more, visit CPR.Heart.org.