I’ve worked in Medicine since I was 14 years old, my lifelong dream was to become a Nurse but after several attempts I found myself dropping out to care for my mother who has suffered with heart disease as her own mother had in June 1966 and lost her battle after having a massive heart attack during her sleep. Due to family history on both my mother and father’s side I’ve always been interested in the heart and causes of heart diseases. I’ve done numerous research on heart disease and cardiac arrest and in the process learned how to prevent heart disease. I don’t think that there will ever be a cure but prevention could help lower the risk and spread awareness that heart disease can “kill” if not prevented. I became a CPR Instructor in 2011, although I wasn’t teaching full time it is something I always wanted to do after seeing CPR performed while working in the medical field for many years and now realizing that so many were not doing CPR properly. I was never passionate about it until September 16th, 2011, a day I will never forget, I found myself performing CPR on my Mother, I was not able to save her but I tried my hardest having to do it on a loved one. This changed my actual perspective in life. I was able to keep her alive for a good 29 minutes which is how long I was performing it before the emergency response came and took over; sadly we let her go at the hospital after CPR was performed for approximately 45 minutes. Teaching CPR is now a passion and I encourage everyone to get certified especially the Baby Boomers who have elderly or sick parents. It’s been 6 years since that day but doing what I do 6 to 7 days a week with the hope that I am making a difference. I love what I do but to be totally honest I live that day each and every time I teach a class, I pray that no one ever has to go through what I did but if they do they know how to perform properly. I think by telling my story it’s therapeutic for me even though it’s told as tears flow. I pray every day that no one ever has to go through the same as I did that day; I have made sure that my passion reaches everyone that I come across. My husband is now certified and due to my passion he plans on teaching along with me upon his retirement in a year. I have left no stone unturned if I can just prevent death on at least one person I feel my goal is met. I cannot believe that so many has not a clue on how to properly perform CPR, this includes Healthcare providers, I see it every day and the stories that I’m told about how corners are cut by other Instructors upsets me terribly. I’ve seen the results of these corners being cut by students that come to my office for re-certification and have very little knowledge of the proper way to perform this lifesaving act. I refuse to accept that the course is too long or “I have to get it done quickly” attitude. I answer to these people come back when you have time. I want to know when they leave my class they know how to properly perform the lifesaving technique. I tell my students you can’t save everyone but knowing you tried is the most important attitude to have. I will never stop trying to convince each and every person I come across how important CPR is, but if you don’t know how to properly perform it is useless. I will never that fateful day but at least I know I did everything I could to save my Mom’s life, I hope that my story reaches each and every one and leaves the same attitude I have in saving a life from cardiac arrest. If I reach just one person it makes me feel like I’ve done something. I would like to leave the legacy of knowing maybe at least one life was saved by one of my former CPR students. I hope my passion shows with every class I teach. I want people to know they can make a difference between life and death. I want my students to have the confidence after they leave my class in knowing that they can perform optimal CPR.