Never too young to save a life

By Paul Dunlop
LIFESAVING is a life’s passion for Leonora Cox.
She first learnt CPR as a Girl Guide and has maintained her firstaid training ever since. Now, the Pakenham Upper mum passes on her skills to others.
Ms Cox runs CPR for Life, delivering first aid training to businesses, community groups and families.
A basic course takes four hours and costs $60 per person for groups of up to 10 people, less for larger groups.
Ms Cox also offers courses for parents who want to improve their first aid awareness for accidents in and around the home.
Ms Cox said if she had her way first aid training would be taught in schools.
“I’m a really strong believer in kids being taught basic CPR,” she said.
“My son Charles is 11 and he is quite capable of doing it. It’s a life skill, it should be part of life.”
A former Cardinia Shire councillor, police officer and lifeguard, Ms Cox now works at the new Cardinia LiFE centre and is training to be a nurse.
She has performed CPR in many emergency situations and said it is “not as scary as people might think”.
“There is a lot of fear — some people don’t think they would be able to do it but it’s not that difficult when you know how.
“It’s about saving somebody’s life, if you can be in a position to help that is a wonderful thing.”