After VA Girl's Death Stricter School CPR Guidelines Proposed

Stafford, VA: After a girl collapsed at her middle school and later died, a lawmaker is proposing a bill which would allow school districts to require the county to provide routine, mandatory CPR training and certification for every single Stafford County School staff member, including cafeteria staff, bus drivers, teachers and administrators. Delegate L. Mark Dudenhefer is proposing a bill which would allow school boards to require students to receive training in emergency first aid, CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) before graduating.

12-year-old Gwyneth Griffin was born with a heart valve problem, which was checked regularly, according to ABC affiliate WJLA. On June 8, after running one lap around the track at her school, A.G. Wright Middle School, Gwyneth collapsed.

The girl's parents say a teacher called 911, but no one administered CPR to their child for 10 minutes after her collapse.

Other students alerted Gwyneth's father, Joel Griffin, who was visiting the school at the time of his daughter's sudden collapse. He ran to the track and administered CPR, bringing Gwyneth's pulse back. After a month, Gwyneth’s heart and lungs were able to be repaired but doctors revealed the devastating results of an MRI to Gwyneth's parents: during the minutes after her collapse, Gwyneth's brain had been severely damaged by loss of oxygen. This lack of oxygen to the brain caused permanent damage; "no cognitive ability…no ability to speak" and completely blind, after two months, this took her life.

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