Lulu Alaniz was cheering for her grandson at his baseball game when a woman rushed into the stands and asked if a certain person was present. A woman in the crowd raised her hand and was quickly led away.
“I looked at my husband and said, ‘I wonder what happened,’” Alaniz said. “Then I looked over my shoulder and saw people behind the stands staring at the ground.”
Alaniz, a technology support representative for the American Heart Association, knew something was wrong and wanted to help. As she rounded the corner, she saw an unresponsive man on his back, surrounded by panicked people. A woman was on her knees pushing hard and fast on his chest.
“I could tell she was exhausted,” Alaniz said. “I asked if I could help. After confirming that someone had called 911, Alaniz acted fast — taking turns with the woman doing hands-only CPR compressions as the crowd counted out loud. She also guided a bystander in alternately delivering rescue breaths.
“Another person administered an AED,” she said. “We all helped each other, and we did not stop until the gentleman was breathing again.”
By the time paramedics arrived, he was alert and responding to questions.
In 19 years as an American Heart Association employee, this was the first time Alaniz had to apply her CPR training. The AHA provides programs that equip staff with lifesaving CPR and AED skills, emphasizing quick action during cardiac emergencies. This includes:
Hands-Only CPR training. Hands-Only CPR has just two steps: (1) Call 911; and (2) Press hard and fast on the center of the chest.
Onsite workshops. Employees learn Hands-Only CPR and get access to online CPR courses with videos, real-life scenarios and interactive modules.
CPR kiosk sessions. Employees at the AHA’s national office, in Dallas, can refresh their CPR skills in just five minutes.,
Full certification. The AHA provides training in CPR, AED use, infant CPR and emergency first aid, with regular certification renewals. The organization also regularly reviews CPR training among the workforce, and AED availability across its worksites to ensure preparedness.
“I’d never even seen a situation like that before, but I knew I had to do something,” Alaniz said. “It felt great knowing I helped a group of people save a man’s life.”