‘It can happen to anyone’: Provo’s Miss Freedom Festival advocates for life-saving CPR education and awareness
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- Lilia Tavares, Miss Freedom Festival 2024, near center holding CPR mannequin, poses for a photo with a class at Provo High School in December 2024.
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- Lilia Tavares, Miss Freedom Festival 2024, center, is shown in a photo with an Orem neighborhood preparedness class in July 2024.
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- Lilia Tavares, Miss Freedom Festival 2024, is shown in an undated photo.
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- Lilia Tavares, Miss Freedom Festival 2024, conducts training with a Provo youth group CPR class in September 2024.
In an instance where someone goes into cardiac arrest, every second counts in preventing a potential death.
According to the American Heart Association, over 400,000 cardiac arrest deaths happen each year in the U.S., and in many cases, the incidents happen outside of a hospital. The situation can become fatal within minutes if the person doesn’t receive treatment right away.
Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating suddenly and unexpectedly.
That’s why Lilia Tavares, Miss Freedom Festival 2024, has been advocating for heart health since her first CPR certification at 16.
Her inspiration stemmed from realizing that many people in her community and within her family didn’t know much about CPR.
After researching statistics about health and hearing personal accounts from people who have been impacted by a loved one’s death or disability caused by heart failure, Tavares knew her work in healthcare was important.
She recounted a story from a woman she spoke with whose husband suffered sudden cardiac arrest. The woman told Tavares she performed CPR, and with the help of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, her husband survived.
“But what she told me really resonated, because she said I thought that was my safe place, and I thought I was safe in my own home, but then that kind of was shattered when this happened,” Tavares recalled from the conversation. “That’s also why I’m so adamant about raising awareness for this because I don’t want anyone to feel like their safe place is shattered because they don’t know what to do in a situation.”
A recent study done by Ohio State University found that only half of all Americans would know how to perform hands-only CPR in the case of an emergency.
More than 70% of cardiac arrest occurrences outside of a hospital happen inside of a home or residence, according to the American Heart Association.
“It can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and four out of five times, it’s going to happen in the home. So that’s why I really push this forward, because I don’t want anyone to feel helpless,” Tavares said.
Other critical situations where CPR is needed include but are not limited to drownings, choking, traumatic injuries or someone having an allergic reaction.
Tavares began partnering with the American Heart Association several years ago to raise awareness about CPR education.
The collaboration has aligned with her royalty in Provo.
Tavares, who was crowned Miss Freedom Festival last September, previously served as first and second attendant for Miss Provo.
Those various capacities, which are a part of the Miss America Opportunity, along with the AHA, are making strides toward the betterment of women’s health by raising funds for research and tuition scholarships.
Through her program and website CPR U Ready? Tavares aims to empower the community with life-saving knowledge and provide accessibility to CPR training for people of all ages throughout Provo and in other areas in Utah County.
Often visiting different schools, Tavares demonstrates proper CPR techniques to students and frequently responds to misconceptions like the need to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
As a recently certified CPR instructor, she said chest compressions or hands-only CPR is just as effective in saving lives.
In the event of a cardiac arrest, the American Heart Association recommends calling 911 right away, or have someone else call, and keeping the phone on speaker mode, before pushing down hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.
If available, an AED can deliver a shock to help kickstart the heart back into its natural rhythm and get it beating properly again.
While Tavares says her focus is CPR education and awareness, she also advocates for overall heart disease prevention.
Cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of death of women in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association
February marks American heart month, and the organization urges people of all genders, races, and backgrounds to practice healthy eating, staying active and maintaining regular doctor visits.
Because cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any age, Tavares says preparedness in CPR training is paramount.
“So just really taking five minutes out of your day to learn this and be prepared could make all the difference in saving someone’s life,” she said.
