Seventh graders at Lincoln Memorial Middle School training to save lives

PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) - Students at  Lincoln Memorial Middle School are getting the hands-on experience they need to save a life through a program called Medical Magnet.

Kelsey Grabiak is one of the teachers training students to become CPR-certified and how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED. “They have the single opportunity to save somebody’s life to give somebody an extra day, or an extra hour,” she said.

Seventh grader E’mari Green says the three-week course covers real-life scenarios and described the training she and her classmates are getting.

“First we check to see the surroundings are safe. Then we see if the person is breathing,” Green said. She says if the person does not respond, chest compressions start right away. After this step, she says, “We have someone get the AED and call 911.”

It’s a lot, but it is life or death.

To that end, Grabiak’s students understand urgency and focus are required.

At Lincoln, there are 40 CPR-certified students on campus.

However, it’s not just the hands-on part that these kids are trained in. “We wanted them to know the science between the circulatory system and the cardiovascular system so that they knew why it [CPR] worked,” Grabiak said.

One of the high-tech tools used in class is the Anatimage, a large 3-D computer, giving kids a realistic look of what’s happening inside person’s body during a medical emergency.

Daphne Walker, another CPR-trained student, says she is thankful for her training. “It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something really big,” Walker said.

“I hope these kids never have to actually use this skill. But, if they do...they are prepared and they are ready to save a life,” Grabiak said.

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