Costa del Sol: How to save a Life

Gerry Hannam is on a quest to save lives with his family after attending a CPR/Defibrillator Training Course with Diving with Nic, in Mijas.

The Hannams were equipped with vital skills for responding to cardiac emergencies by the highly-trained and experienced instructors. They hope to encourage others to do so. The three-hour training course takes place at Diving with Nic’s training centre. It is a combination of practical training and dark humour that emphasizes the importance to act quickly in a life-or death situation.

Gerry, his family and friends practiced CPR on dolls specially designed to simulate emergency situations. Leo, a course instructor, explained that while the material is grim, he tried to keep it interesting by making dark jokes. The goal of the course was to keep people alive until the emergency services arrived. Nic, an experienced teacher, highlighted how the course has a real-world impact. “Just a few weeks after Finca Naundrup attended our course, one of their employees saved a woman’s life using CPR and AED.”

Nic explained that they focus more on CPR and AED than more comprehensive courses. Nic stated that people today rely on hospitals to treat less serious injuries while Nic’s course focuses more on keeping patients alive until an ambulance arrives. He also spoke about the importance for people who already hold certification to take refresher courses. He said that shock could make you freeze in an emergency, and emphasized the importance of making the skills learned second nature.

Nic recalled a case in which his insistent on a rapid ambulance response saved a lady who was suffering from a stroke and initially misdiagnosed as drunkenness by the emergency services. “Northern Europeans are often too polite to call 112.” “You have to be persistent when someone doesn’t respond.” The course covered the Spanish emergency response system where ambulances may be delayed in rural areas and urbanisations such as Calahonda. Leo emphasizes that every second is crucial: “With cardiac arrest, survival chances are very low but every moment counts. What are your most frequent companions? Your family, friends, and co-workers – they’re the ones you could save.”

Gerry and Jenny were inspired by their training and encourage others to follow suit. After being shocked by the fact that so many were unaware of AEDs, they started identifying gaps in coverage across Sitio De Calahonda. “It doesn’t just happen to the elderly – it could be a child,” Jenny said. They found that only a handful of locations are equipped with AEDs, including Oxygen Gym Club and Finca Naundrup, where three AEDs have already been installed and two lives saved. In order to address this problem, the family will be targeting strategic locations with new defibrillators.

Gerry and Jenny organize community events in order to raise money for their AED initiative. The first event will be a fundraiser with Ben James on September, followed by an important November event featuring Ricky Lavazza. They are backed up by alarming statistics: CPR performed within 3 minutes and defibrillation in less than 5 minutes can increase the chances of survival for cardiac arrest from 50 to 70%. Each minute that passes reduces this chance by 7-10%. The survival rates of cardiac arrests occurring outside the hospital are only 10 percent.

Diving With Nic offers both e-learning and classroom refreshers, to help Nic overcome the memory lapses caused by shock. Their work with schools, Age Care and Finca Naundrup as well as small group sessions, ensures that practical, lifesaving knowledge reaches the communities who might need it one day.

Gerry and Jenny encourage residents to join them in their campaign through the S.A.L. – Save a Life Facebook pageThe group will share updates about their efforts to install new defibrillators at Calahonda. Do you know the location of your nearest defibrillator? Gerry questions. Diving With Nic has helped them to provide answers and save lives for more Mijas Costa residents.

For more information regarding CPR and AED training, please contact Diving with Nic Visit their Mijas Costa Training Centre.