First Aid 19

“I really, really wanted to say thank you. I don’t think I conveyed how grateful I was.” Maggie Ireland fought back tears as she thanked two Red Cross volunteers for their assistance after she and her niece, Jamie, were involved in a car accident in downtown Edmonton.

Not everyone experiences chest pain during a heart attack. In my First Aid and CPR training with the Red Cross, I’d learned that heart attack symptoms for women can be a lot different than for men. But it didn’t really sink in how difficult that might make it to recognize a problem, until this happened.

My family recently found ourselves on a Caribbean island where we were having a wonderful vacation. My husband and I have always loved the water and once upon a time were both lifeguards in Canada (let's just call us 'retired'). With two young children, we respect the ocean and are always looking for opportunities to talk over safety in the water, taking the opportunity in this case to explore ocean currents and what they mean when we're thinking about cooling off in the ocean.

It was an emotional evening as 10 people from Alberta and British Columbia were recognized for their heroic efforts in two life-changing events and given Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Awards at a ceremony in Calgary.

What do New Brunswick residents Naveed Majid, Earl LeBlanc, and Tamara Brothers have in common? They all took actions that saved lives – and now they are being honoured with Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Awards. 

We took a moment to talk to some mental health advocates about the importance of integrating mental health into first aid. 

When we see someone experiencing a medical emergency we know first aid can be a life-saving measure, but what if we saw someone experiencing a mental health emergency such as depression or suicidal behaviour?

As a young teenager, I remember the thrill of finally being old enough to babysit younger children in the neighbourhood, but I also remember the fear. Not only did I have to keep young minds entertained for hours on end, I had to be able to properly care for these young kids, and it was solely my responsibility.