Left-right: Representative Donald Humason, R-Westfield, Susan Canning, Shannon Small and Senator Michael Knapik, R-Westfield. (Photo submitted)
Westfield residents Susan Canning (l) and Shannon Small talk to Senator Michael Knapik (R-Westfield- right), and Representative Donald Humason, (R-Westfield-left), about the importance of bystander CPR, access to AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) and screening for critical congenital heart defects for newborns. As advocates for the American Heart Association – Canning and Small visited the Massachusetts State House on June 5th during Heart on the Hill, an annual event where volunteers meet with elected officials to educate them about the lifesaving legislation. Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival but on average, only 27.4 percent of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR.
