CPR Saved Southington Mom; Now She Pays It Forward

On May 11, 2014, Southington mom Leigh Pechillo's heart stopped. It was Mother’s Day. She was 44. Five years later, Pechillo is alive for one reason only: her husband knew how to do Hands-Only CPR that day. To honor the five year anniversary of a day that could have ended much differently, Pechillo is making sure other hearts can be started just as hers was. On Saturday, May 11, she will host the Southington Community Heart Starters Hands-Only CPR Event from 9 a.m.-1 p .m. at Southington High School.

This free Hands-Only CPR training will provide attendees with the basic skills to save a life from sudden cardiac arrest. According to the American Heart Association, 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home. If someone is called upon to perform Hands-Only CPR, it is likely they will be trying to save the life of a person they know and love. Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as CPR with breaths in the first few minutes of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for an adult victim, and can double or triple their chance of survival.

"The one reason I am still alive is because my husband knew to call 9-1-1 and start Hands-Only CPR when I collapsed at home," says Pechillo. "I called the doctor earlier and was told my symptoms of shortness of breath and heartburn could have been esophageal but he couldn't rule out a heart attack. I was instructed to take an antacid and if I didn't feel better, to go to the emergency room."

Waiting proved to be the worst thing Pechillo could have done. Approximately 30 minutes later, Pechillo’s husband, Tom, suggested they go to the emergency room, but she went into sudden cardiac arrest in her bathroom. Pechillo's husband performed CPR for four minutes before the ambulance arrived.

"With so many people not knowing CPR and feeling helpless to act in a cardiac emergency, I wanted to do all I could to educate more people on Hands-Only CPR in the hopes of saving more lives," says Pechillo. "I've learned that more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States annually and, according to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of those people die. I am certainly one of the lucky ones, and I want to empower people with the education needed to create more survivors."

Southington Community Heart Starters is offering 20-minute training sessions allowing participants to learn Hands-Only CPR, as well as infant CPR and how to use an AED. The first 200 to register for the training will also receive a FREE American Heart Association CPR Anytime Kit (valued at $38.50) allowing them to continue practicing their CPR skills and share what they have learned with others. The event will be held in the Southington High School West Gym and is open to all ages. To register, visit www.inaheartbeat.org/southington-community-heart-starters. Advance registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

The event is being held in conjunction with In a Heartbeat, Inc., an organization that exists to raise the awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; donate and provide qualified organizations with Automated External Defibrillators; assist with the creation of action plans for emergency situations; and support, fund, and advance the research of HCM. In a Heartbeat was founded by fellow sudden cardiac arrest survivor and Wallingford resident Mike Papale, whose life was also saved because of CPR.

Southington Community Heart Starters is made possible by the generous support of Platinum Sponsors The Bradley H. Barnes & Leila U. Barnes Memorial Trust at the Main Street Community Foundation and Ben Was Here, Inc., along with Silver Sponsors 1 Heart at a Time LLC and Beacon Prescriptions.