Student helps submit IL legislation that would require male, female CPR training in high schools

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — A high school student says she’s determined to change the status quo when it comes to CPR training.

She is working with state lawmakers to have female manikins used during the training.

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Ashlynn Goldstein, 18, wants to take something that’s rare and make it the norm.

“I think we need to break that barrier. I think we need to be OK with change,” said Goldstein, a Naperville Central High School senior.

What started as a project for class became an opportunity to save the lives of girls and women.

Goldstein was researching gender disparity in medicine when she realized there was lack of manikins that were female.

“There was a study I saw where it said only 5% of the manikins that were sold on the market were female,” Goldstein said.

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According to the American Heart Association, women are 27% less likely to receive bystander CPR than men because of hesitancy to follow protocol, fueled by fears of inappropriate touching, exposing the chest or drawing accusations of sexual assault.

“I believe that they were scared to explore and change what they were doing. They were scared it wouldn’t work,” Goldstein said.

So she created the change herself. Working with the school and state representatives, she put forth a bill that would require both male and female manikins to be used in CPR training in high schools across Illinois.

“I really try to impress on teenagers is they have immense power that they can wield at any time,” teacher Seth Brady said.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we were all trained to save a life no matter the sex, right?” said Shelly Amato, with WorldPoint.

Goldstein’s work caught the attention of WorldPoint, a medical supply store based in Crystal Lake that donated eight new manikins to the school.

“We’re really adamant that no, the male, female needs to be standard with every manikin,” Amato said. “We saw a need, and we wanted to meet it.”

The company offers female and male manikins as a package deal, sending a clear message to those like Goldstein that change is coming.

“Anyone can do CPR on a female,” Goldstein said.

The bill is currently up for discussion in the Education Policy Committee with the hope it will become law.