The American Heart Association has launched a new storytelling initiative, the Nation of Lifesavers, featuring five compelling real-life CPR stories to highlight the urgent need for bystander intervention during cardiac arrests. According to the Association, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside 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, kicking off during CPR & AED Awareness Week.
The five survivors and rescuers make up the inaugural Nation of Lifesavers Class, who will share their personal stories through traditional and digital media, advocate for public policies, and lead volunteer CPR training opportunities. The stories were chosen from dozens of videos submitted by real survivors and everyday rescuers nationwide. "Nearly 2 out of 3 people believe only those with special training should perform CPR, a mistaken belief that costs lives," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. "To kick off CPR & AED Awareness Week, the American Heart Association is highlighting these powerful stories and working to change the idea of CPR as a medical skill to a shared human responsibility."
The 2026 members of the inaugural Nation of Lifesavers Class include Philicia Baugh (49, Charleston, S.C.), who provided chest compressions to a loved one during a family trip; Kristen Walenga (52, Chicago, Ill.), whose children, including 15-year-old Eddie who learned CPR in school, saved her life after she collapsed; Matthew Lynch (32, Cinnaminson, N.J.), who performed CPR on an unresponsive driver he encountered in traffic; Edward Marsh (59, Houston, Texas), who was saved by strangers and a friend after collapsing on a dance floor; and his twin Wallis Marsh (59, Houston, Texas), who learned CPR and used it to save his friend and former NFL player Jeff Tupper.
Immediate CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use can double or triple survival chances, yet less than half of cardiac arrest victims receive help from bystanders. The Association emphasizes that medical credentials are not required; anyone can push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute—the tempo of the song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. The Nation of Lifesavers initiative is committed to turning bystanders into lifesavers by 2030. To join, learn CPR at heart.org/nation and submit your own CPR story here. Walgreens is a proud national sponsor of Nation of Lifesavers.
