Heimlich Heroes Blog
Mar 18, 2019
Posted By Heimlich Heroes
Over the course of three years, Heimlich Heroes™ has been working with USA Girl Scouts Overseas in Paris, France to help them achieve their dream of providing a way to educate their community about the Heimlich Maneuver® and how to respond in choking emergencies.
Paris Cadette Troop 35 is a mix of bi-national/bilingual girls (Lily P., Emily C., Vicky F., and Simone G.) who live and attend French and International schools in Paris, France. They named their initiative the “Paris Heimlich Project” and it has recently been accepted by the Overseas Girl Scout Committee.
The troop decided that they wanted to start this project following one troop members' very close call during a choking-related incident. In France, the Heimlich Maneuver is not widely known, especially among kids.
"Kids don't know what to do if they see someone choking," said Troop 35 member Vicky F., " All they would do is panic or maybe call the ambulance. So, we want to help them".
In their research, the girls found that brain damage will begin to occur after only 4 minutes do to the lack of oxygen reaching the brain while choking. Statistics show that one child dies every 5 days from choking on food.
Heimlich Heroes™ equipped the Troop with learning materials and dolls, thus enabling the girls to teach others in their community. In addition to teaching others in a workshop setting, the Troop created a PSA video, interviewed medical experts, designed a website, produced pamphlets in both French and English, and were interviewed on a Global kids radio program.
For their combined total of over 200 hours of work, the girls will receive the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve. The award represents a girl’s accomplishments in Girl Scouting and her community as she grows and works to improve her life and the lives of others. By earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, the girls of Paris Troop 35 have become community leaders. Their accomplishments reflect leadership and citizenship skills that set them apart.
These Girl Scouts have demonstrated their commitment to creating a safer tomorrow, and you can too! If you or someone you know is a Scout, have them or their leader visit our website and contact us or register. We would love to partner with your troop to help you earn your Bronze or Silver Award!
