Ky. woman encourages people to learn CPR after it saved her life

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - One of the zombies in last year’s Thriller parade had a real-life scare— her heart stopped and she collapsed during the performance.

She was told several people came to her aid, but only one person knew how to perform CPR. Now, she’s pushing for more Kentuckians to know how to use the life-saving technique, when seconds count.

UK Hospital worker Charlotte Callan knew exactly what to do when Sarah Katzenmaier collapsed.

“When this training is so fresh like mine was, you know exactly what you need to do in situations like that and a lot of people are not informed about those kinds of things,” Callan said.

“Since this has happened, I’ve become a proponent for learning CPR and I’m going to shout it from the rooftops, everyone needs to learn CPR,” Katzenmaier said.

The Bluegrass Chapter of the American Red Cross CPR certifies a thousand people a year, but they say that’s not good enough.

“I think it’s very low. I think we could do a better job. I think it’s important to learn the basics because it can empower you to save a life,” said Lynne Washbish, the executive director for the Bluegrass Chapter of the Red Cross.

According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, less than 3% of the U.S. population receives annual training.

“Had it not been for Charlotte Callan taking the initiative to assert herself as having recently been trained and taking over, I would not be here,” Katzenmaier said.

You can find information on CPR classes in Lexington by clicking here.

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