The American Heart Association launched the Nation of Lifesavers initiative during CPR & AED Awareness Week, featuring five compelling real-life CPR stories to underscore the urgent need for bystander intervention. According to the Association, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. The initiative aims to double the sudden cardiac arrest survival rate by 2030.
The five survivors and rescuers comprise the inaugural Nation of Lifesavers Class, who will share their personal stories through media, advocate for public policies, and lead volunteer CPR training. These stories were selected from dozens of videos submitted by survivors and rescuers nationwide. "Nearly 2 out of 3 people believe only those with special training should perform CPR, a mistaken belief that costs lives," said Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "To kick off CPR & AED Awareness Week, we are highlighting these powerful stories and working to change the idea of CPR as a medical skill to a shared human responsibility."
The 2026 class members include Philicia Baugh, who performed CPR on a loved one during a family trip; Kristen Walenga, whose children saved her life after she collapsed; Matthew Lynch, who administered CPR to an unresponsive driver; Edward Marsh, who was saved by strangers on a dance floor; and Wallis Marsh, who learned CPR after his own heart attack and later saved a friend. Their stories exemplify how immediate CPR and AED use can double or triple survival chances. Medical credentials are not required; anyone can push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100-120 beats per minute, the tempo of "Stayin' Alive."
The Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative seeks to turn bystanders into lifesavers. Walgreens is a proud national sponsor. Learn CPR and submit your own story at heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
