CPR For Teens
By: Theodore Tickell
Author’s note – Ashley King was my cousin. Information about her passing is sourced directly from family and cannot be cited within. As I am related to Ashley, this story and subject are very personal to me, my parents, her parents, and my family. – Theodore
Ashley King, an art-loving 16-year-old, was a rising high school junior in St. Petersburg, Florida. She’d often brag to her grandmother about her plans for her junior and senior years, remarking that although she “could graduate early,” she’d want to take extra art classes before she left for college.
At the end of July 2024, Ashley and four of her friends were out together around St. Petersburg. A thunderstorm had rolled over the area, and the five sought shelter under a historic Banyan Tree in St. Petersburg.
Unfortunately, four of the five teenagers were struck by lightning. Upon being struck, Ashley was sent almost immediately into cardiac arrest and was unable to recover from the oxygen loss her brain suffered. Her four friends fortunately survived and have recovered from their injuries.
In cases such as Ashley’s, bystanders and witnesses around the scene lack the ability to perform CPR. CPR, formally known as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a process used to restore blood and oxygen flow to someone whose heart has stopped beating. While there are many resources to learn how to perform CPR safely, many do not choose to take these classes, hoping for someone else to be able to do so in the unlikely and unfortunate event that it is needed.
Many worry about the potential legal complications in which their act of performing CPR would cause an injury to an incapacitated person. For this reason, most states in the US, including Florida, have ‘Good Samaritan’ laws. Under these laws, individuals attempting CPR, or other lifesaving techniques, cannot be punished for potential complications with these emergency procedures.
In memory of Ashley, my mother, Kellie Tickell, has set a goal of getting 100 people within St. Johns County trained in CPR by Ashley’s 17th birthday in April.
Here are a few resources towards getting trained in CPR in St. Johns County.
St. Johns Fire Rescue-
(904) 209-1747 – Call to schedule classes with SJC Fire Rescue.
International CPR Institute; Nocatee
(407) 777-0177 – Call to schedule training in CPR
First Coast CPR
Mayo Clinic Infographic
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600
Cover Photo
https://www.mycprcertificationonline.com/blog/five-possible-cpr-side-effects-you-should-know
