Tiffany Hay, a senior attending the Career Education Center’s Athletic Training/Sports Medicine class, saved the life of her niece, Dominique, this past weekend.

Tiffany had just recently completed her CPR certification training in the class. At 3 a.m. Sunday morning (Sept. 29), Tiffany’s mother called up to her bedroom and told her that her niece was blue. Tiffany leaped out of bed and rushed downstairs to examine her niece. Her niece was indeed blue and breathing irregularly. Tiffany first rubbed her niece’s arms and legs, but the child remained blue. Tiffany then began CPR.

Tiffany says she was afraid she wouldn’t remember what to do, but her training and practice had been thorough and she was able to bring her niece’s breathing to a normal state. Tiffany said she was very frightened but had remembered her instructor’s admonition: “Never lose your mind because you might be the only one stable.”

A doctor later examined Tiffany’s niece and it is thought that the breathing problems were due to complications from teething. Tiffany credits her teacher, Darryl Miller, and knows that without this training, her niece might easily have not survived.

Athletic Training/Sports Medicine is a program that prepares students for the fast growing field of the prevention and management of athletic injuries. Students are trained in CPR certification and given preparation for EMT certification. Students become athletic trainer assistants at DPS high schools and assist in the care of athletic injuries.

The Career Education Center (C.E.C.) of Denver Public Schools, located at 2650 Eliot Street in northwest Denver, is specially designed to help high school students explore career areas. Students with a desire to attend college or technical schools are challenged to develop career skills while still in high school.

With 24 career programs to choose from, students are able to learn workplace skills and ethics that will last them a lifetime. Young people from all Denver Public High Schools, private schools, other public school districts, and home schooling environments are invited to visit our web site www.dosomethingreal.com and explore all there is to do at C.E.C, on either a part-time or full-time basis. Or call Merrilee Thomas, at 303-964-3015 to arrange a tour of the facility. Specific questions about the Athletic Training/Sports Medicine class may be directed to Darryl Miller, 303-964-3083.